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Societies

At the foot of the page is a summary of the activities of the organisations listed.  Please click the society/organisation name below for a link to its corresponding website:

  • Brewing, Food & Beverage Industry Suppliers Association (BFBi)
    http://www.bfbi.org.uk
    The BFBi was first formed in 1907 as the Allied Brewery Traders Association, bringing together both supplier and producer companies for the brewing industry. More recently, the name was expanded to embrace the wider brewing, food and beverage industries. The objects of the Association are to enable its Member Companies to act together in all matters pertaining to their trade and/or professional interests; to monitor legislative proposals and other public matters affecting the brewing, food and beverage industry sector and take any necessary action thereon; and to form a centre for obtaining/disseminating information which meets the technical aspirations of those engaged in the brewing, food and beverage trades.
  • British Cheese Board (BCB)
    http://www.britishcheese.com
    The BCB aims to increase consumption of cheese in the UK - and, especially, home-produced cheese. There are over 400 varieties of British cheese available, facilitating a 'British Cheese for every occasion'. The Board also promotes the health benefits of eating cheese. The British Cheese Board (BCB) was formed in 1997, and its members account for the majority of domestically-produced cheese.
  • British Nutrition Foundation (BNF)
    http://www.nutrition.org.uk
    The Foundation promotes the nutritional wellbeing of society through the impartial interpretation and effective dissemination of scientifically-based nutritional knowledge and advice. It works in partnership with academic and research institutes, the food industry, educators and Government. The Foundation influences all in the food chain: Government, the professions and the media. The Foundation is a charitable organisation which raises funds from the food industry, Government and a variety of other sources. Its web-site provides information on diet through life, energy and nutrients, diet and health and food commodities. In addition, it contains a large education section and an area for parents.
  • The Dairy Council
    http://www.milk.co.uk
    The Dairy Council is the co-ordinating body for the dairy industry's generic information and promotion activities in Great Britain. It is funded by dairy farmers via the Milk Development Council and by milk processors and manufacturers via the Dairy Industry Association Limited.
  • Dairy science and food technology
    http://www.dairyscience.info
    This website contains information on the industrial uses of lactic acid bacteria and their bacteriophages, antimicrobial systems in milk, and factors influencing the quality and yield of cheese. There are also sections on starter cultures, probiotics, modelling in food technology, and a summary of information on modified atmosphere packaging. The articles on general food technology include labelling, nutritional claims, wine making and thermal processing. There are also numerous calculators and a model e.g. predicting the grade value of Cheddar cheese, theoretical yield of cheese, and a facility for formulating ice cream mixes. The site is aimed at students and practitioners in dairy science and technology, and there is a discussion area, extensive links, and literature citations.
  • Dairy UK
    http://www.dairyuk.org
    Dairy UK is the dairy trade association representing the processors and distributors of liquid milk and manufacturers of dairy products in England and Wales. Dairy UK has been formed by merging the previous Dairy Industry Federation (DIF) with the National Dairymen's Association (NDA).
  • The Danish Society of Dairy Technology (Danmarks Mejeritekniske Selsab)
    http://www.mejeritekniskselskab.dk
    The Danish Society of Dairy Technology was founded in 1942. The object of the Society is to promote information and technical research in the dairy field, and to further the application of the results in order to benefit the Danish dairy industry and its connected productions. The Society arranges meetings, lectures and seminars and co-operates with similar national and overseas organisations, associations and experts. It also organises field trips and study tours - both within Denmark and abroad.
  • The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
    http://www.defra.gov.uk
    The new Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs(DEFRA) has replaced the previous, and long-established, Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (MAFF). Under food, DEFRA's specific objective is to promote a sustainable, competitive and safe food supply chain which meets consumers' requirements. Under farming, its objective is to promote sustainable, diverse, modern and adaptable farming through domestic and international actions and further ambitious CAP reform. it is the source of information on all aspects of food and drink, sustainability, rural development and farming. DEFRA's statistics are widely used throughout the UK dairy industry, and include details of raw milk utilisation, farm gate prices for raw milk, farm incomes and National Food Survey data.
  • Food and Drink Federation (FDF)
    http://www.fdf.org.uk
    The Food and Drink Federation is the voice of the British food and drink industry, the largest manufacturing sector in the UK. It represents and promotes the industry's common interests by developing and implementing policies, and fulfils its responsibility to consumers by providing information and educational programmes on all key issues.
  • Food Standards Agency (FSA)
    http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk
    The Food Standards Agency is an independent food safety watchdog set up by an Act of Parliament in 2000 to protect the public's health and consumer interests in relation to food. It is the UK's most reliable source of advice and information about food; and its guiding principles are: putting consumers first; being open and accessible; and being independent. It provides detailed and authoritative information on UK food safety - news, regulations, research and other pertinent activities.
  • Ice Cream Alliance (ICA)
    http://www.ice-cream.org/
    The Ice Cream Alliance, the trade association for the UK ice cream industry, celebrated its 50th year of incorporation in 1994. The Alliance provides a range of technical services to its members, including a recipe balancing service, a nutritional labelling service, advice on legislative and street trading queries, and updates on the latest UK Government legislation. It also publishes a monthly magazine, and it organises events, including national competitions and a large, annual trade exhibition. It represents its members' interests with Government Departments, especially the Departments of the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Health (DoH).
  • International Dairy Federation (IDF)
    http://www.fil-idf.org
    The International Dairy Federation is the first source of information on dairy issues on a global scale. It is both a forum for discussion and exchange, and a dairy information centre, created by and for the dairy sector. It amplifies communication within the dairy sector through its 38 member countries, and serves as a link between the dairy sector and other international organisations. It is a source of scientific and technical expertise, and of influence, in the dairy sector.
  • Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST)
    http://www.ifst.org
    The Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) is the independent, incorporated and professional qualifying body for food scientists and technologists. Its purposes are: to serve the public interest by furthering the application of science and technology to all aspects of safe, wholesome, nutritious and attractive food; to advance the standing of food science and technology, both as a subject and as a profession; to assist members in their career and personal development within the profession; and to uphold professional standards of competence and integrity.
  • DairyCo
    http://www.dairyco.org.uk

    DairyCo was set up in April 2008 following a fundamental review of agricultural levy boards by Defra. The five existing levy boards (including the Milk Development Council) were replaced by one statutory levy board, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and DairyCo covers the milk sector.

    DairyCo’s current focus is on improving the profitability of dairy farming by focusing on four specific areas:

    • The provision of a world-class information service
    • Helping dairy farmers meet and manage environment needs and regulatory requirements
    • Helping promote the positive perception of dairy products and dairy farming with the general public
    The development of DairyCo towards a self-sustaining modeln.
  • National Farmers Union (NFU)
    http://www.nfu.org.uk
    The NFU's public website provides non-nonsense facts about the current situation in agriculture as well as the latest NFU news and events.
  • Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF)
    http://www.rabdf.co.uk
    The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) is the independent organisation representing the interests of specialist dairy farmers and others involved in the dairy farming industry. Established in 1879, it is active in supporting the dairy farming industry through continuing education and training programmes, information and technology transfer through running the UK's premier dairy show, The Dairy Event, plus holding an annual dairy conference. The RABDF represents British dairy farming's best interests with Government policy makers, politicians and the public.
  • Society of Food Hygiene Technology
    http://www.sofht.co.uk
    SOFHT is a membership-based organisation covering the interests and views of everyone involved in food hygiene and safety. The society holds symposia, workshops and a SOFHT Lecture and annual luncheon. Proceedings and a technical manual are published as well as a magazine, SOFHT Focus. The SOFHT Options in Training portfolio covers a range of training programmes.
  • Stilton Cheese Makers Association (SCMA)
    http://www.stiltoncheese.com
    The Stilton Cheese Makers Association (SCMA) was formed in 1936 to represent the interests of the Blue Stilton manufacturers and to raise standards. Today, the SCMA has those two same objectives, but it is also responsible for: promoting Stilton worldwide; managing the trade marks; and ensuring that standards are maintained at all the six licensed dairies. Only cheese produced in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire and made according to a strict code may be called Stilton. The SCMA was granted a Certification Trademark for Stilton in 1966, and is still the only British cheese so accredited. In 1996, the SCMA succeeded in achieving "Protected Designation of Origin" (PDO) status for Blue Stilton from the European Commission.