The launch event was hosted by Sir Kevin Barron, MP, who is a Vice President of the CIEH, and around 70 delegates were present in the Churchill Room representing key organisations such as the Food Standard’s Agency (FSA) and Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO) as well as stakeholders from across the breadth of the food sector, as well as the public, private, academic and third sector.
Head of IFSIP, Jenny Morris, MBE, said the IFSIP advisory board had decided initially to concentrate on the skills needed to tackle food fraud.
‘The first topic area for IFSIP focus, identified by the advisory board, was food fraud or food crime and the need to fill skills gaps in addressing it,’ she said.
She added IFSIP aimed to support good standards of consumer protection.
‘This has become ever more necessary as the food supply has become increasingly complex and resources, both in management and in supply, have become scarcer,’ she said.
Graham Jukes, CIEH chief executive, said IFSIP would allow different organisations to work together and give professional support to all those throughout the food industry.
Mr Jukes said: ‘In the light of Professor Elliott's review the need is for a far more coordinated approach between the professional and other groups, trade associations, interest groups, academia and research establishments in order to tackle food crime,’ he said.
‘It is designed to be collaborative in nature, its membership model will encourage membership of kindred professional bodies and seek to enhance collaborative work between the professions and seek to harmonise the qualifications, skills and competencies into a clear framework of professional development and registration.’
Professor Chris Elliott, as Chair of the Advisory Board, talked about the importance of IFSIP as a collaborative body of food professionals, in the current challenging environment.
‘Never have I thought in my professional career that there is a greater need and opportunity to development partnerships between those four million people who work in the food industry, partnerships between the people who work for regulatory authorities in government to come together to work even harder to ensure that the food supply system for every citizen on these islands is safe wholesome and authentic,’ he said.
Professor Elliott said he had met the CIEH, which has developed IFSIP, during the course of his review and found it to be an ‘inspirational’ organisation.
Mr Elliott concluded: ‘That is why I’m very proud to be on the advisory board of IPSIP.’
IFSIP plan to send out details of the event, together with video clips to all CIEH members and all those who have registered an interest by the start of July.
The full website will be available in the autumn when the member areas will become “live”.
At that time there will be new content for members only.
Register your interest in becoming a member of IFSIP.