FDF CEO Ian Wright has accused the government of failing to work in partnership with the industry on key issues such as the war on plastic and the fight against obesity.
Wright said it was vital whoever won the election realised that bombarding companies with regulation and targets, based on “reacting to whatever is the latest crisis”, would result in economic damage to companies and higher prices for consumers.
The FDF today published its election manifesto, which calls for the government to “support efforts to make food production and consumption more environmentally sustainable, and help tackle climate change”. It also urges the next prime minister to “tackle obesity and other dietary concerns through a holistic, evidence-based partnership which reflects real lifestyles”.
But Wright told The Grocer such an approach would require a major change of direction from the government.
“Over the last three or four years the food industry has been in the frontline of so many of the big issues. Of course we have had to deal with Brexit, but there has been the fight against obesity and the situation with plastic, the battle against food waste - and I believe there has been a lack of continuity and a lack of a partnership approach on these big issues.
“Take Defra, for example, where we have had four different ministers. The same lack of continuity and purpose applies to health policy.”
The FDF has slammed the government plans for a ban on HFSS promotions and accused PHE’s reformulation programme of setting unrealistic targets on sugar and calories.
“The government has got to realise that it can’t decree the way that the food and drink industry and its consumers works in practice. Of course it can set out what it wants but ultimately it is customers who will decide.
“It’s like the situation with the low and sugar-free drinks.
“A sugar tax will only achieve so much. The way this will work is with a partnership across the whole industry.
“The government has been too busy trying to solve whatever is the latest crisis rather than coming up with a joined-up strategy.”
The FDF’s manifesto calls for “more to be done to reduce litter and drive up recycling across all packaging materials, including plastics”.
But it warns proposals lined up by government - including a bottle deposit return scheme, plans to extend producer responsibilities on recycling and a tax on single-use plastics - risk imposing huge costs on the industry.
“The industry has come together to act,” the document says. “This must be embraced and continued. For example, to deliver realistic reform of the UK packaging producer responsibility system (PRN) and a complementary, well-designed deposit return scheme compatible across all parts of Great Britain. Any funds raised as part of reforms must be re-invested in our waste infrastructure.”
Wright added: “Plastic is just one example of where policies are not working.
“Look at the situation with PRN reform, where suppliers are facing huge costs and great uncertainty about how long this volatility will last.
“Since 2015 we’ve had three different governments and a complete lack of continuity. I’m not holding my breath but we desperately need that to change, whoever wins this election.”
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