Charlotte Nichols MP hosted the Cold Chain Federation in Parliament on the 20th of May. The Cold Chain Federation was founded in 2019 and is the voice of the UK’s temperature-controlled logistics industry, which includes third-party storage and distribution, retail, maritime, production, and manufacturing. Their 270 members operate over 450 specialist storage facilities and run over 40,000 vehicles and refrigerated trailers across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The cold chain industry has a multi-billion-pound impact on the UK economy and is vital to the UK’s agricultural, manufacturing, and retailing industries. It is also a source of thousands of quality jobs from warehouse operatives and drivers to systems analysts and robotic engineers. The UK frozen food industry is estimated to be worth eight-billion pounds.
“Following the Governments announcement of a new trade deal secured with the EU, it was great to host a reception in Parliament for the Cold Chain Federation – which represents a number of our local distribution companies supplying temperature-controlled products including food and pharmaceuticals.
Veterinary certification costs and procedures, introduced as a result of Brexit, have had a hugely negative effect on food producers and hauliers. Simplifying food movement between the UK and the EU without compromising safety was welcomed to bring down the massive administrative and cost increases on businesses that they have endured in recent years.
We also discussed growing the sector from the £8.5 billion it adds to the economy currently to £12.5 billion by 2028, skills, and decarbonisation, and the importance of the security and resilience of the chilled supply chain as highlighted by recent issues with Coop following a cyber attack.
Thank you to everyone who came along for so many useful conversations, which I’ll be taking forward with the relevant departments”.
Phil Pluck, CEO of the Cold Chain Federation said “A relaxation of veterinary certification is a very welcome move for the cold chain sector and for food producers. If this transition is handled efficiently, then it bodes well for a journey back to common borders on food movement. For forty years food movement across the channel between the UK and mainland EU has been efficient, cost effective and safe. The current arrangements have not improved food safety but have created a massive administrative and cost increase. This seems like a good first step towards a more pragmatic and shared food movement protocol”.
