3 replies to this topic

[GMO]

I had a call with Campden BRI recently, we're members as a business and of course they still carry a lot of weight in the industry.

 

This was about a technical issue.  I'd been specific in my request.

 

• It took 3 working days for someone to come back to me.
• When they did, they struggled to arrange a time which worked for them so it was another few working days before our call.
• Then one person who was going to join our call didn't.
• The people who joined didn't have the expertise I asked for and were unfamiliar with basic equipment used in all manufacturing facilities of the kind I was talking about.
• They didn't listen, so much so I'd been clear about an ingredient we'd removed which they then kept referring to.
• They were keen to start a project when all I wanted was an opinion.  Had I got a decent opinion, more work would have followed for them because my team need some upskilling.  But now I'm looking for alternatives instead as I have low faith in their expertise on this topic.

 

It "feels" like some of the old guard with 20-40 years experience have gone and people taking their place are more interested in selling than in food science.  I'm sure they're still great on their bread and butter topics (pun intended) such as bakery and micro but this wasn't a left of field ask.

 

Thoughts?

[Dorothy87]

Hi :) 

 

Same here, and we paid a lot for membership.. 

 

We paid for Home | The Food & Drink Federation (fdf.org.uk) and I will see if this one is better than Campbden BRI... 

 

 

[GMO]

There are so many now.  There's RSSL, Leatherhead are still going I think, FDF, IFST, the universities who have expertise in food and all the specific lobbying organisations for your category.

Considering the food industry is the biggest UK Manufacturing industry now, we lack that authoritative "centre of excellence" that would be really helpful.  I wonder if with the change in government likely this year or in Jan 25 if we could get something REALLY independent which could be both that centre of expertise but also a place to build talent?  Imagine if we could second out people early in their careers to learn and come back to industry?  

Or perhaps it's just where I would like to go out to pasture long term... 

[G M]

Looking beyond one institution, this seems to be a broader problem.  We're running into it with inspectors and auditors too.  The depth of technical expertise is getting replaced with a veneer, plus a lot of motive to sell services.