Worlds Safest Food Supply Chain

Food Fortress, an innovative new testing regime for animal feed materials is just the beginning of a world leading programme of supply chain assurance for the entire food industry in Northern Ireland, according to Professor Chris Elliott, from the Global Food Security Unit at Queens University.

Welcoming the news of the introduction of the world's safest animal feed supply chain is Dr. Mike Johnston, second left, Dairy UK, who is pictured with Alan Johnston, left, Vice President, NIGTA; George Starrett, NIGTA and Professor Chris Elliott, Global Food Security Unit, Queens.
Welcoming the news of the introduction of the world's safest animal feed supply chain is Dr. Mike Johnston, second left, Dairy UK, who is pictured with Alan Johnston, left, Vice President, NIGTA; George Starrett, NIGTA and Professor Chris Elliott, Global Food Security Unit, Queens.

Food Fortress, a joint venture between the NI Grain Trade Association (NIGTA) and Queens. was officially launched last week by the Department of Agriculture in conjunction with the Livestock and Meat Commission to representatives of the entire agri food chain and received a resounding seal of approval from all sectors.

Chris Elliott pointed out that a single contaminant can enter the supply chain and affect the entire food industry. "The challenge is to identify the risks, analyse them and then build a testing programme that would detect these before they get to the supply chain. He added "We are using the power of new technologies that can detect contamination at very low levels. The system we have developed, in conjunction with NIGTA and with support from Invest NI, has been benchmarked against some of the leading monitoring and testing systems in Europe and will be much more comprehensive, encompassing a much wider range of materials.""

Cliff Kells, right, Tesco welcomes the Food Fortress initiative and outlines its vital role for the retail sector to Robin Irvine, Chief Executive, NIGTA and Owen Brennan, president, NIGTA
Cliff Kells, right, Tesco welcomes the Food Fortress initiative and outlines its vital role for the retail sector to Robin Irvine, Chief Executive, NIGTA and Owen Brennan, president, NIGTA

Alan Johnston, NIGTA Vice President who manages Moy Park's Animal Feeds Division throughout the UK said: "We have built a system to find a needle in a haystack and at no additional cost to the food industry. This new testing is leading edge and by protecting the supply chain, we're protecting the consumer. This is the first time such a high level of testing has been done and will undoubtedly be replicated elsewhere in the world. It is our ambition to see the Northern Ireland agri-food industry lead the way in assuring buyers from around the world that, in sourcing produce here, they are not only sourcing the best, but also the safest of any products available."

Declan Billington, from NIGTA, who worked closely with Queens in the formative stages of the scheme commented "Testing capacity has been increased more than six fold and feed companies have come together to submit samples for composite testing. This collaborative approach ensures the costs for testing are kept to a minimum. It is all about working smarter and incorporating the latest technologies developed by our partner, the Global Food Security Unit at Queens University"

Richard Moore, left, Linden Foods, discusses the role of Food Fortress in the redmeat supply chain with Robin Irvine, Chief Executive, NIGTA and Professor Chris Elliott, Global Food Security Unit, Queens.
Richard Moore, left, Linden Foods, discusses the role of Food Fortress in the redmeat supply chain with Robin Irvine, Chief Executive, NIGTA and Professor Chris Elliott, Global Food Security Unit, Queens.

Robin Irvine, Chief Executive of NIGTA, who has been co-ordinating the implementation of the scheme added "With feed production in the province growing steadily we now have well over two million tonnes of feed materials shipped into the province every year. The Queens work is based on detailed research into all the risks involved with these materials and employing leading edge technology to achieve a much higher level of assurance for the money we spend on analysis. The pilot scheme which was set up to test the program is well advanced and we are now in a position to offer Food Fortress to the industry."

Details of the inclusion of Food Fortress in the redmeat supply chain were a topic of discussion when Phelim O'Neill, Chief Executive NI Meat Exporters Association and Pat O'Rourke, Chairman, Livestock and Meat Commission when they met Robin Irvine, Chief Executive NIGTA and Dr Simon Haughey, Global Food Security Unit, Queens
Details of the inclusion of Food Fortress in the redmeat supply chain were a topic of discussion when Phelim O'Neill, Chief Executive NI Meat Exporters Association and Pat O'Rourke, Chairman, Livestock and Meat Commission when they met Robin Irvine, Chief Executive NIGTA and Dr Simon Haughey, Global Food Security Unit, Queens

Ian Stephenson, Chief Executive of LMC has already committed the support of the red meat sector and announced that Food Fortress would become a requirement of the Farm Quality Assured Beef and Lamb Scheme adding "This is a great example of an industry working together - adopting leading technology and raising standards to a world beating level, whilst retaining competitiveness in the supply chain"

Commenting on the introduction of the scheme Owen Brennan, President of NIGTA, said "With recent food scares, we wanted to find a better way of managing and protecting our supply chain. This system will play an integral role in building on our agri-food industry by helping to ensure the safety of all feed materials coming into the island of Ireland and continuing to monitor them through processing and transportation to the farm gate."