DCFA Oct-Nov 2011 Newsletter

1. The Devon & Cornwall Food Association Ltd (DCFA)
NEWSLETTER
October - November 2011
Patron: Judi Spiers, BBC Radio Devon Spare Food is Share Food!
7 Whimple Street, Plymouth, Devon PL1 2DH Mobile: 07745819828 (text only) Email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk Website: http://dcfa.webs.com
FOREWORD BIG RISE IN CHARITY FOOD DEMAND
BY THE COMPANY CHAIR An article broadcast by the BBC
nd
Mrs. Christine REID on Sunday, 2 October 2011
Dear Friends and Supporters,
I have some exciting news to announce to you... DCFA has
F IGURES FROM A UK CHARITY show a sharp rise in demand
on charities for food. FareShare, which redirects food trade
surpluses to those in need, said
appointed its first member of paid staff! its donations were reaching
35,000 people a day, up from
Ms. Victoria HURTH has been appointed as our part-time DCFA
29,000 a day last year.
Project Coordinator and will take up appointment in mid-
The organisation said it had seen
November 2011. Another big step forward for the DCFA
the largest annual increase in the
project!
number of charities asking for handouts.
You will have heard in the media recently that food poverty is FareShare said low-income families were struggling with rising
on the increase. So now it’s more important than ever that our food prices, and one in three charities it surveyed was facing
project should succeed. But it will only succeed with your government funding cuts.
continuing help and support.
Unprecedented demand
At the end of September we said goodbye to Esme GOSS, our The charity has 17 locations around the UK and passes on good
volunteer Milk Team Coordinator. Esme looked after the quality supplies from the British food industry to a wide
distribution of milk and cream for us each and every week. network of grassroots organisations such as homeless hostels,
We thank Esme for all she’s done and wish her well for the women's refuges, day centres and after-school clubs.
future. Karen BOWLER has kindly agreed to step into the post It said that last year it provided 8.6 million meals, and this year
and we all wish her a warm welcome! DCFA has already saved it was facing unprecedented demand from some 700
various local organisations £5,500 by supplying them with milk organisations.
and cream.
DCFA Editorial Comment:
I should like to remind you all that our first AGM will be held
st
on Tuesday, 1 November at 6 p.m. There’s more information FareShare is a national charity operating in
about this later in this Newsletter. We have a lovely, lively conjunction with Sainsbury’s. The nearest FareShare
Guest Speaker lined up for you, and Victoria will be available to outlet to the Devon & Cornwall region is at Bristol. It
meet everyone. I am a little concerned about the poor
would take a ten-hour round trip to travel from
response received so far! So do please come along to our
AGM and show your support. Plymouth in a van to collect food produce from there
and then to return to Plymouth to distribute it to our
We do need to know whether you will be attending charitable receiving organisations. We would also
or not so do please let Geoff know as soon as you have to pay FareShare for this service as it does not
can! Contact details at top of page. come free! This is the reason that DCFA was set up as
Christine a separate, autonomous organisation dealing solely
with our region.
Christine REID
Chair of the DCFA Board of Trustees The world does not stop at Bristol!
The Devon & Cornwall Food Association Ltd. (DCFA) is a Private Company Limited by Guarantee.
Registered Company No. 07419679.
Registered Charity No. - DCFA is recognised by HMRC as a Charity for tax purposes under Reference XT27083.
Members of : Our Funder:
NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations) – Membership No. MEMBERVC/13004,
PTSC (The Plymouth Third Sector Consortium),
The Small Charities Coalition,
And Volunteering England – Membership No.1278747. … And Voluntary Donations.

2. EDITORIAL COMMENT AN ARTICLE BY ALISON SHAW
I NTERNET Links. If you’re reading this on-line and come
across words with blue lettering that are underlined, then
DCFA Trustee and Public Relations Officer
you can click on these links and be taken directly to another
site for more information on that particular topic.
M Y NAME IS ALISON SHAW and I am a Trustee and the
Press Officer of the DCFA.
With a background of primary school teaching I was ordained
If you read this on Microsoft Word, you can put your cursor
in 2001 and since then have worked in the Dioceses of Truro
over the link, hold down the Control (Ctrl) Key and click! Ed.
and Exeter. Whilst working in North Cornwall I became
involved in FoodBanks and helped set up and run a satellite
GREETINGS! “branch” of the highly busy Wadebridge FoodBank. As a church
community we support the Plymouth FoodBank and I know
H
rd
APPY BIRTHDAY TO Gitty ANKERS for Sunday, 23
October 2010. Gitty is a Co-opted Member to the DCFA the work they do here too is essential.
Board of Trustees. Thanks Gitty and have a lovely day! Now, as priest-in-charge of St. Boniface Church in St. Budeaux,
I’m seeing at first hand the effects of second and third
N O CELEBRATIONS IN NOVEMBER. Have we missed
anyone?
generation unemployment, the shocking issues of increasing
food poverty and the resultant sense of low self esteem and
hopelessness.
The work of the DCFA is already making a difference to twelve
DCFA MEETINGS organisations it is currently supplying and we look forward to a
S EPTEMBER 2011 BOARD Meeting. The September
th
meeting took place on Monday, 5 at the Catherine
Street Baptist Church.
time when DCFA is able to secure premises, paid staff and a
supply chain from the many local food producers and retailers
who may wish to work with us.
st
It’s truly unacceptable, that in this 21 century, huge quantities
N EXT MEETING. There will be no meeting in October
st
2011. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 1 November
2011 which will be our first Annual General Meeting. This will
of food are wasted daily when people go hungry!
Many things get people hot under the collar... let’s protest
about this... an issue which really matters and is a massive
be held at 6 p.m. at The Crown Centre, Plymouth. injustice in our society.
F UTURE MEETINGS. All meetings are scheduled to start at
10.30 a.m. at the Catherine Street Baptist Church unless
otherwise stated. This information is subject to change at short
DCFA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
AN OPEN INVITATION
notice.

st
Tuesday, 1 November 2011 T HE DCFA AGM will be held at the Plymouth
Crown Centre at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 1
November 2011. A rough programme will be
st
Annual General Meeting
(6 p.m. at The Crown Centre, Plymouth) something like this:

th
Tuesday, 6 December 2011 6 p.m. Registration & Networking
General Board Meeting 6.30 p.m. Welcome by the Chair
followed by Christmas Drinks & Mince Pies Chair’s Report,
(Plymouth - Shekinah Mission) Treasurer’s Report
Guest Speaker

th
Tuesday, 7 February 2012 - Ms. Anna HOYLE.
General Board Meeting Strategic Development Manager, ECCVS
Election of Officers,
Spare Food is Share Food. Any Other Business,
Questions & Answers
Come join DCFA! 7.30 p.m. Refreshments & Networking
Stop good food from ending up at landfill sites! Do please make a date in your diaries now
and let Geoff know if you wish to attend!
Talk to DCFA on Facebook
Our AGM is open to all to attend. In particular we should like
to see the following in attendance:
Follow DCFA on Twitter
DCFA Trustees, DCFA Volunteers, DCFA Friends
Members of the DCFA Exeter Working Group
View DCFA on LinkedIn Members of the DCFA Truro Working Group
As space is limited we should be most grateful if you let us
know that you will be attending. Please contact Geoff at:
Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
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3. saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk or telephone him on (01752) 563800.
Deadlines: Nominations to become an officer of DCFA E ND OF THE SELL-BY DATE: Simpler labels to tackle
£12billion annual food waste:
(Trustee or Member) must be submitted to the DCFA Secretary  Five million tons of perfectly good produce binned every year.
th
by not later than 12 noon on Tuesday, 18 October 2011.  ‘Use by’ labels will go only on food unsafe to eat after a certain date
th
This article was published in the Daily Mail on Thursday, 15
DCFA TALKS & PRESENTATIONS September 2011 by Tamara Cohen and This Is Money Reporters.
Sell-by dates on food labels are to be removed in a bid to
D CFA BOARD MEMBERS are now ready to deliver Talks to
groups and organisations about the work of DCFA. This
can be accompanied by a PowerPoint Presentation and a
help cut down the £12billion worth of good food which
ends up in the bin each year.
From now on, manufacturers will only be able to put use by
couple of short video films. We invariably include a discussion
or best before dates on food products.
session afterwards and distribute leaflets, and Friends of DCFA
The new guidelines from the government mean that food
Brochures. So if you are a school, or perhaps a church group
products will no longer be able to use sell-by or display
or similar, why not contact Geoff and request a Talk?
until labels. Instead they will only be allowed to put one
date to help confused consumers distinguish between the
PLYMOUTH SOCIAL ENTERPRISE two traditional dates.
NETWORK Ruling: From now on, manufacturers
will not be allowed to mislead
CHRISTINE REID AND GEOFF READ attended a meeting of
th customers into thinking their food is off.
PSEN on Tuesday, 13 September 2011 at
An estimated five million tons of
Millfields HQ Business Centre in Union Street,
perfectly good produce – worth
Plymouth. A very worthwhile meeting and a very
£12billion – is binned every year.
interesting Talk from Rachel PICKEN of MPAD
The annual cost to a typical family is put at a staggering £680.
about how social enterprises can use their
The new rules issued today by the Department for
ethical dimensions to boost public relations
Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has been produced
and how to use social impact to create great news stories.
in consultation with supermarkets, food manufacturers,
Perhaps you will now see an improvement in our Newsletters!
consumer groups, food law enforcement bodies and the
Ed.
Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
Although agreement has been reached with manufacturers,
OTHER NEWS ministers still need to thrash out similar rules for supermarket
own-brand products.
Environment Secretary Caroline SPELMAN said:
'We want to end the food labelling confusion and
make it clear once and for all when food is good
C OAST TV VISITED PLYMOUTH. On the eve of the first
Marine Management Organisation conference organised
by the Plymouth Marine Sciences Partnership, CoastNet
and safe to eat.
'This simpler and safer date labelling guide will
help households cut down on the £12 billion Miss SPELMAN
brought Miranda KRESTOVNIKOV and the Coast TV programme worth of good food that ends up in the bin.' will announce
to kick off a debate about this future, starting with some Most foods... such as tinned and dry goods, the move to
stories of the making of the TV series and insights that Miranda help 'end food
jams, pickles and snacks... carry a best before labelling
has gained from the experience. The evening started at 6.30 date to indicate when they will no longer be at confusion'.
p.m. with canapés and drinks followed by a debate at 7.30 their best but are still safe to eat.
th
p.m. on Monday, 12 September 2011 in the Graduation Use by labels will go only on food which is unsafe to eat after a
Marquee on Plymouth Hoe. Christine REID and Geoff READ certain date, such as soft cheese, meat, fish, eggs and ready
were most fortunate to be invited to represent DCFA at what meals.
turned out to be a most interesting evening! Instead of using sell by or display until dates, the food industry
will be encouraged to use other measures... such as colour
C ORNWALL Food & Drink Festival. Christine REID, Geoff
READ and Gitty ANKERS spent
some time talking to local food
coding... to tell supermarkets how long to keep produce on the
shelf. Campaigners have been lobbying for several ears to
change the food labelling system which was introduced in 1980.
producers at this festival at Truro in
Liz REDMOND of the Food Standards Agency said: ‘There is a
September 2011. It was a very busy
lot of confusion among customers about date marks.
festival but they managed to place a few DCFA Brochures in
‘A number of different dates can be found on our food, so we
strategic places!
need to make sure that everyone knows the difference
Find out more by visiting: www.cornwallfoodanddrink.co.uk.
between them. We always emphasise that use by dates are
the most important, as these relate to food safety.
Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
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4. ‘This new guidance will give greater clarity to the food industry However she also claimed that consumers were still confused
on which date mark should be used on their products while by the difference between use by and best before and called
maintaining consumer protection.’ for measures to improve consumer understanding.
The waste reduction body WRAP says 8.3million tons of food Scientists at the University of Strathclyde are working on
and drink is thrown away each year, of which 60%, or ‘intelligent’ food wrapping which changes colour when the
5.3million tons, is avoidable. contents go bad.
Every day 1.3million unopened yoghurt pots are dumped along More...
with 5million potatoes, a million loaves of bread, 440,000
 How to drastically slash your food bill with easy changes
ready meals, 5,500 chickens and a million slices of ham.
 Food labels use 'poetic license' to fool shoppers
Much of this food ends up in landfill and puts a drain on the
economy in terms of production and transport. To read more on this subject please click on this link.
A survey last year for supermarket chain Morrisons found
55% of shoppers throw away food which is past its best
before date even though it is still safe to eat.
Miss SPELMAN said earlier this year: ‘I am dismayed so
P IAZZA MARKET A HIT With Public. This article was
published in the Plymouth Herald on Monday, 19
September 2011:
th
much food goes to waste. If the date labels are part of the A CITY farmers' market has been hailed
problem, it’s one thing we should be able to improve.’ as a success after some traders sold out
Critics say part of the problem is that supermarkets offer of their local produce.
buy-one-get-one-free deals on products with a short shelf Mouth-watering pastries and
life, including fruit and vegetables, which means that preserves, local cider and eye-catching
shoppers throw away large amounts. jewellery were all on offer for the many LOCAL PRODUCE:
DEFRA said consumers would find the new system easier to shoppers who visited the market on Saturday. Lynda Hickery from
understand and that deciding when to eat foods after the Previously situated in New George Street,
Ant-Em's Bakery.
best before date was common sense. the stalls took up residence in the Piazza with organisers
While the manufacturers have pledged to follow the hoping it will be the first step in reintroducing the attraction to
guidelines, there were fears supermarkets would dig in their the city's central thoroughfare.
heels over ‘display before’ dates on own brand products. "It went very well and we have had great feedback from the
The British Retail Consortium, which represents major traders and public," said Clint Jones, Plymouth City Centre
retailers, expressed doubts as to whether the new rules Manager.
would help customers better understand date marking. "It is definitely something that people want back and the
Spokesman Andrew OPIE said: ‘If the Government really traders all had good days."
wants to make a difference to reducing food waste it should A total of 15 traders set up shop for the market which is
be educating consumers about the two basic terms... use by hoped will return as a fortnightly event.
and best before. "We want everyone to enjoy it," said Clint.
‘This system is carefully used by retailers and it isn’t "And it doesn't have to be just be once a fortnight, you can
complicated. Helping consumers understand that food past enjoy local produce every day at the Plymouth City Market."
its best before date can still be eaten or cooked could
contribute to reducing food waste and saving people
money. The Government should be spreading that message,
not focusing on retail practices.’
T HE SHEKINAH MISSION. John HAMBLIN has reported
that at long last their new web site is up and running.
Do please take a look at:
Barbara GALLANI of the Food & Drink Federation said: www.shekinahmission.co.uk
‘DEFRA’S guidance on the application of date marks on food
and drink products will provide an additional tool for
manufacturers to use to help consumers in their fight
against food waste.’ Below: Esme Goss and DCFA
See more at: Photobucket.com and DCFA FB Page.
Original photographs courtesy of George TRICKER.
Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
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