| Food and Drink Federation | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | FDF |
| Legal status | Non-profit organisation |
| Purpose/focus | Umbrella group, with subgroups, representating the UK and drink manufacturing industry |
| Location | 6 Catherine Street, London |
| Region served | UK |
| Membership | UK food and drink manufacturers |
| Director General | Melanie Leech |
| Main organ | FDF Council |
| Affiliations | SFDF |
| Website | Food and Drink Federation |
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is a membership organisation that represents and advises UK food and drink manufacturers.
Contents |
Its members are companies of all sizes as well as trade associations and groups dealing with specific sectors of the industry.
The food and drink manufacturing industry employs around 500,000 people and as many as 1.2 million in ancillary services; it accounts for 15% of the UK's total manufacturing sector by value; and it is an invaluable partner to British agriculture buying two-thirds of what farmers produce.
The Federation is responsible for communicating to and from a range of audiences including the UK government (particularly the Department of Health; the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills), regulators, consumers and the media.
The Federation tackles a range of issues on behalf of its members under the three core areas of health and wellbeing; food safety and science; and sustainability and competitiveness; it also aims to highlight the work industry conducts under these areas. For example its Five-fold Environmental Ambition sets out where manufacturers are looking to make a difference to the environment through reducing CO2 emissions; sending zero food and packaging waste to landfill from 2015; reducing the level of packaging reaching households; improving water efficiency to reduce water use; and embedding environmental standards in their transport practices to achieve fewer and friendlier food miles.
Product reformulation has also been another major focus for the Federation, highlighting the industry’s ongoing work to reduce salt, trans fats, fat and sugar in food products. The industry’s efforts have been supported by the UK's Food Standards Agency, the UK Government and others.
Extract of members of the FDF - full members list:
In the same building are the Snacks, Nuts and Crisps Manufacturers Association SNACMA, the Association of Bakery Ingredient Manufacturers ABIMand the European Snacks Association ESA.
The organisation has a Scottish division (SFDF) that runs autonomously from Torphichen Street in Edinburgh. It deals directly with the Scottish Executive and is wholly responsible for the Scottish food and drink manufacturing industry, having its own Executive Committee. The drinks industry in Scotland is an important part of its economy, and its exports.