Food Community
Nutrition, labelling, food safety, incident handling horizon scanning, allergens
Ensuring brand reputation by adhering to product standards, compliance, and legislation.
Acting responsibly, in the products you sell and the production standards you demand, is essential in maintaining your brand reputation. That not only means compliance with legislation but also an awareness of policy on nutrition and sourcing.
The Food Community brings food retailers together to give visibility of changes in legislation and policy, horizon scan for risks and imminent problems in supply chains and the latest insight from Government departments and the FSA.
Our recent guidance on complying with HFSS regulations and changes to labelling are industry leading. Our calls provide a safe space for members to discuss and deal with food incidents as they arrive.
Objectives
Providing insight and guidance to new regulation on labelling, food safety, composition and allergens
Shaping future obesity policies across the UK
Horizon scanning risks in the supply chain
Engaging with Government and the industry to strengthen UK food security
Working Groups
Within the Food Community are the following Working Groups:
Agricultural Group
Supply chain relationships, AFS and farming policy.
Allergen Group
Latest developments with the CODEX review of thresholds and sharing updates from FSA.
Emerging Risks Group
Horizon scanning risks in the supply chain, incident management and the latest updates from FSA and the National Food Crime Unit.
Labelling and Legislation Group
All consumer information including labelling changes and allergen declarations
Microbiology Group
Updates on FSA interventions on listeria, salmonella and campylobacter.
Nutrition Group
Latest updates on obesity policy from all UK Governments, reformulation and labelling.
Members
The following key roles and the teams that report into them:
Corporate Affairs Executives
Labelling and Food Safety Advisers
Technical Directors
Nutritionists
Sustainable Sourcing Advisers and Agricultural Experts
Associate Members
Latest Content
EventLearning ProgrammeBRC Summer School 2025
10 June 2025Ashridge House, Berkhamsted
EventWebinarLeading in the Industry: Seeing a Bigger Picture with the Learning Team
12 March 2025Online
EventLearning ProgrammeBRC Retail Masters 2025
10 March 2025The Form Rooms, Covent Garden
EventMasterclassLearning ProgrammeSustainability Masterclass: Developing and delivering your strategy
12 February 2025The Form Rooms
EventLeading People: A People-Centric Approach with the Learning Team
12 February 2025Online
EventExternal EventHFSS advertising and marketing restriction: What you need to know
04 February 202510:00- Event
HFSS advertising and marketing restrictions in England and Scotland: What you need to know
04 February 2025Online - Event
Micro WG - Jan 2025
22 January 202522 January 2025 - Member Access
BriefingFMD in Germany Briefing & Advice for Members
16 Jan 2025 - Member AccessArticle
Food Community Bulletin - January (1st Update) 10.01.2025
10 Jan 2025
What our members say
The BRC allows a fiercely competitive sector to come together on some of the most important issues of the day. When it focuses on the long term topics that require well considered political and legal change it is at its most effective.
The BRC is invaluable in bringing retailers together to discuss crucial topics and then lobby the retailer message to government on our behalf. The BRC’s media presence and focus on promoting the interests of retailers allows us to align on issues impacting the sector.
A very effective business network that provides insight and coordinates industry opinion.
The BRC continues to do an excellent job of supporting the retail sector and its individual members on a wide variety of issues.
Adds a lot to our business, great sounding board, very well connected and able to influence.
A positive and considered voice for our industry, useful learning/ business-focused communities that help our team in their roles, and data insights that help us benchmark our performance.
Community Managers
Andrew Opie
Director of Food and Sustainability
Andrew heads up the team focusing on the production, labelling and sale of food alongside the responsible sourcing and production of all retail products. Covering a complex legislative agenda, he and his team work closely with key officials in all UK Governments and Brussels. They are also working closely with key NGOs and partners in the supply chain to improve the way products are made and sold.
Andrew has huge experience in food production from his time with the NFU and before that as Chartered Surveyor managing a dairy estate.
Andrea Martinez-Inchausti
Deputy Director Food Policy
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