EU launches ‘More Than Only Food and Drink’ campaign for UK food industry

The EU has launched a dedicated communication campaign to champion the outstanding qualities of European food and beverage products to UK food industry professionals – highlighting the continent’s food safety, quality, authenticity and sustainability credentials.

The ‘More Than Only Food and Drink’ campaign has been devised to further strengthen awareness and appreciation among UK food businesses of the key characteristics that make EU food and beverage products stand out from other markets.

The awareness drive will focus specifically on six product categories including processed meat (charcuterie, salami, hams and sausages), fresh meat (poultry, beef, pork and lamb), dairy and cheese, frozen fruits and vegetables, bakery products, confectionery, and wine, spirits and beers.

A team of specialist UK advisors, who are experts in each category, have been recruited to support the campaign messaging. Together they will help to promote the standards, regulations and tracking in place to protect food safety, food quality, animal welfare and the environment. The campaign will also seek to improve the recognition and understanding of EU food quality labels such as Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), EU Organic.

‘More Than Only Food and Drink’ will invite UK food industry professionals to explore the world of EU food and beverage through a series of engaging events, informative seminars, and interactive experiences. This will include large-scale trade exhibitions, specialised seminars on topics including sustainability, exclusive roundtables focusing on wine and meat industries, and webinars in collaboration with leading trade publications. Innovation showcases will highlight cutting-edge EU food technologies and study trips to EU countries will provide hands-on experience with producers.

Interactive events will be supported with an earned and paid media campaign to further communicate the messaging and reach even wider audiences.

Patrick McGuigan, cheese writer and educator, and category advisor to the ‘More Than Only Food & Drink’ campaign, said, “This campaign aims to highlight the remarkable quality and diversity of food and drink made in the 27 member states of the EU. From sustainable farming and traditional production practices to the EU Quality Labels scheme and strong food safety and traceability standards, the EU produces food and drink that is not only delicious, but is also rooted in cultural heritage, time-honoured traditions and innovation. As the campaign strapline says, it’s ‘More Than Only Food and Drink’.

“The ultimate aim is to encourage the imports, use and sales of authentic EU agricultural food and beverage products in the UK.”