The effects of the 2008 economic recession are continuing to add friction to the wheels of the UK economy. The situation is compounded by the effects of the uncharted waters of Brexit on a global scale and also further heightened by the International Monetary Fund’s warning that the ‘global economy is facing a deep recession with the ongoing impact of COVID-19’. The UK Food Standards Association indicates that the sector suffered an 89% drop in business in April 2020, resulting in 675,000 sector-specific job losses. It is also predicted that 23% of businesses may fail, equating to a further 10,000 job losses in 2021.

Unfolding events in real time have done little to support UK industry, and in particular, the food manufacturing sector, who are being constantly challenged with the threat of contamination. In this context, the statistics on food contamination are concerning, as globally up to 600 million people suffer food contamination each year, resulting in 420,000 deaths. In the UK, it is also estimated that annually 2.4 million people are affected by food contamination, costing the economy more than £1bn a year. Since 2015, there has been a continuous year-on-year increase in the number of such food incidents in the UK. Such failings clearly damage brand identity, reduce revenue and ultimately lead to the potential termination of operations.
This discussion paper charts the unfolding effects of the 2008 UK recession, which cost the UK economy approximately £7.4 trn, the events leading to the UK Brexit negotiations, at a cost of £32.9 bln, and the continuing devasting consequences of the global pandemic on the UK and the UK food manufacturing sector, as it strives to develop a progressive food safety culture. It further offers viable suggestions in their efforts to establish a positive food safety culture.