FDF hosts 56th sweet conference

Today marks the start of the 56th Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery (BCCC) Technology Conference, hosted by the Food and Drink Federation's (FDF) BCCC Sector Group.

The conference, entitled 'Drivers for Success', continues to provide an opportunity for discussion and networking for the BCCC sector.

Key speakers from food groups such as Bayer CropScience; the British Retail Consortium; the Food Standards Agency; The Futures Company; Kerry UK; Leatherhead Food International; Premier Foods; Sheffield Hallam University; the Soil Association; Sweet Charity; the University of Birmingham; and the University of Leeds will take to the stage.

Topics up for discussion include: GM foods; labelling; positioning of industry challenges and developments in social science and consumer research; implementing innovation; development in flavours; new and emerging legislation; addressing the challenge of Acrylamide; the future of organic ingredients; and process integration in food manufacture.

United Biscuits' Simon Roulston, FDF's BCCC conference chairman, says in his opening speech: "This year's conference will focus on the drivers for success in the food industry. By gaining understanding of these drivers, we will be better able to respond to the challenges the industry faces during the current economic downturn. With any recession, there are immediate pressures on survival, but there are also opportunities.

"During the conference we will look to set the context within which we all operate, gaining insights into what motivates consumers. Pressures on consumer health and nutrition remain strong; people's interest in the content of products, their labels and their ethical origins has increased.

"Proposed legislative changes will also impact on the industry, as will non-regulatory pressures such as saturated fat reductions. With such requirements for change, it's essential that the products we make are innovative, yet remain attractive propositions to the consumer. Texture and flavour are key elements to this and we'll seek to address them over the next couple of days."

The conference is taking place from 26-27 at Ettington Chase Conference centre near Stratford-upon-Avon.

Words: Maria Bracken

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