< Previous10 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net EIT INTERNATIONAL Q&A Tell us a bit about EIT International. EIT International is a UK-based technology company, specialising in advanced hygiene verification and contamination detection solutions for the food production, beverage and regulated industries. We are known for an innovative approach to real-time bacterial risk and biofilms detection that helps strengthen compliance, reduce contamination risks and improve efficiency. Our technologies are built around speed, visibility and ease of use, enabling quality and hygiene teams to make faster, data-driven decisions when it comes to cleanliness and pathogen control. Our products include: Biofilm & bacteria scanners: · Bactiscan™ · BactiscanPRO™ · Bactiscope™ · BactiscanPLUS™ Regulations on Listeria are changing for the EU and Northern Ireland in July 2026 – can using the Bactiscan™ product range help food production facilities stay ahead of the upcoming Listeria regulation changes? Yes. With the new Listeria regulations coming into effect in July 2026, food production facilities will be under increased pressure to demonstrate tighter controls over environmental hygiene and microbial risks. Bactiscan™, and its counterparts in the range, offers a proactive solution that helps businesses not only meet these new standards but stay ahead of them. Using advanced wave-alternating UV- based imaging, Bactiscan™ enables teams to visually detect biofilms and potential bacterial contamination—including Listeria vectors—instantly and non-destructively. This immediate result allows teams to verify cleaning effectiveness in real time, making it easier to catch and correct problems before they can lead to non-compliance, product recalls, or public health concerns. By integrating Bactiscan™ into routine environmental monitoring protocols now, facilities can strengthen their HACCP and due diligence programs to provide clear evidence Q&A EIT International Recent bacterial outbreaks and disease scares in food products have highlighted the importance of accurate and quick testing. We speak with EIT International, specialists in advanced hygiene verification and contamination detection, to find out how they are helping customers detect problems ahead of time. Food & Drink International 11 www.fdiforum.net EIT INTERNATIONAL Q&A of biofilm control—something that will be critical for audits, customer trust, and regulatory inspections before the new guidelines. How does Bactiscan™ help businesses reduce the risk of Listeria contamination in food production facilities? Bactiscan™ provides a powerful advantage in detecting potential bacterial contamination (such as Listeria) before it becomes a threat to food safety or regulatory compliance. Unlike traditional testing methods that can take 24– 72 hours to return lab results, Bactiscan™ uses advanced wave-alternating UV-based technology to deliver immediate, visual detection of biofilms and bacteria on surfaces. This rapid feedback allows contamination risks to be addressed in real time, significantly reducing the chance of Listeria establishing itself in hard-to-reach or overlooked areas. By integrating Bactiscan™ into routine sanitation and verification processes, food production facilities can proactively monitor biofilms control, rather than reacting after an issue has already occurred. With the new Listeria guidelines coming into play, tools like Bactiscan™ become even more valuable, helping businesses stay compliant and demonstrate a clear, science- backed commitment to food safety. How does using Bactiscan™ compare, pricewise, to other testing methods for Listeria? The long-term cost savings and operational efficiency gained when using Bactiscan™ is significant. Traditional Listeria testing typically involves swabbing, lab processing, a wait of 24–72 hours for results and potential downtime for a facility - all of which incur repeated costs per test – especially if the swab tests aren’t conducted in the right places. Bactiscan™, on the other hand, is a one- time investment. It can be used daily, across multiple work zones, to instantly detect signs of biofilm or contamination prior to ATP swabbing and sending samples to a lab, catching issues early and preventing widespread contamination. This reduces costs tied to the number of ATP swabs used, product recalls or even a halt in production. What role will innovative tools like Bactiscan™ play in shaping the future of food safety under stricter bacteria guidelines? As food safety regulations become more stringent, innovation will be the key to staying compliant, competitive, and trusted. Bactiscan™ represents a shift in how food production facilities approach risk management - from reactive response to proactive prevention. Bactiscan’s ability to deliver instant, visual confirmation of contamination risks gives hygiene and QA teams a new level of control. Instead of waiting days for lab results, facilities can now take immediate corrective actions and minimise downtime, reducing waste, and preventing recalls. The Bactiscan™ range helps create a culture of visibility and accountability, where bacteria monitoring is fast, data-driven, and easy to communicate across teams and to regulators. As the industry moves toward smarter, real-time validation systems, EIT International and its products will be at the forefront, defining best practices in modern food safety. To discover more visit www.eit-international.com Image on the right shows how bacteria appears blue with the Bactiscan™, which is invisible to the naked eye in the image on the left12 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT Food groups in the UK are calling for a reset of regulations after the staggering gulf between UK trade of old and today was revealed. Many businesses and food groups within the UK and EU have been calling for a “reset” of relations and import rules, to reduce the extent of food checks between the UK and the continent. More than a dozen of the UK’s largest retailers have claimed the checks are costing billions of pounds, and that the process is laborious and confusing. This mirrors the experiences many EU exporters have had trying to get produce into the UK. There’s little argument – even among diehard Brexiteers – that Brexit was implemented poorly. Constant delays at checkpoints have led to many EU suppliers writing off business in the UK, and it’s not been any kinder to UK exporters. The UK’s Labour Government has aimed for a reset of relations for years now but faces domestic pressure from groups who fear a reset might really mean reverting Brexit. This pressure coming from opposition parties as well as a loud part of the public have 14 Á Reset relations Reset relations Food & Drink International 13 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © stock.adobe.com/lazyllama14 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT hamstrung efforts to sort out the difficult import and export rules in the UK. A summit set to take place in May could hopefully put a stop to that, and, in an ideal world, would lead to the UK and the EU coming up with a new framework for how to handle food checks. Trade pressure from Trump and the US may be the catalyst that forces the UK to work closer with the EU, seeing as how the “special relationship” is in jeopardy. A problem facing the UK Government is, of course, the US administration itself. Trump’s trade plans typically involve negotiating from a position of strength by trying to make other people weaker, and while the UK wants to create a new regulatory system with the EU involving meat and dairy, the US administration has suggested this could affect a potential trade deal with the US. The message is clear: the US doesn’t want the UK to have good trade with the EU, because then the UK will be in a stronger position to negotiate against the US. This policy may end up being self-defeating for the US, however, as the UK will feel forced to make connections closer to home to combat what is seen as bullying behaviour from the US. Trump’s infamous instability with tariffs and trade policy (which seems to change week by week) also makes the US an unreliable trading partner, and markets crave stability. The UK is more likely to form a connection with its immediate trading partner, the EU. The UK is currently in a poor position when it comes to food trade with the EU – and it’s poorer than the EU is with it. The Food and Food & Drink International 15 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT Drink Federation recently revealed that EU food trade to the UK increased by 3.3% when compared with 2023, whereas UK food exports to the EU fell by 34% in the same period. That represents the UK suffering ten times as much as the EU does over the regulatory challenges imposed by Brexit, which puts in focus just how poorly it has been implemented. For those Brexiteers ardently claiming that Brexit has been a success and that the EU is suffering, the data makes for uncomfortable reading – for it is the UK which has suffered, and the EU is doing just fine. Balwinder Dhoot, Director of Industry Growth and Sustainability, FDF said: “These latest figures show the stark reality for the UK’s 12,500 food and drink businesses who are struggling to deal with the complexity and bureaucracy that comes when trading with Europe. Government must prioritise working with the EU, and our industry, to remove as many of these barriers as possible. It’s important that we don’t just get a quick fix, but the right fit for the UK when it comes to our relationship with the EU. We stand ready to work with government to develop a trade deal that will drive growth in our sector.” The Trade Snapshot highlights that the EU remains the UK’s most important food and drink trade partner, accounting for 61.8% of exports and 75.6% of imports in 2024. However, across the rest of the globe, food export volumes have increased 5.7% year-on- year as the UK sees the benefits of recent new trade agreements. © stock.adobe.com/Ozz16 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SUPPLY CHAIN SPOTLIGHT Advancing the supply chain As pressure mounts, the supply chain turns toward new technology and AI to try and make ends meet. Food & Drink International 17 www.fdiforum.net SUPPLY CHAIN SPOTLIGHT © stock.adobe.com/Travel mania G lobal economic weakness, geopolitical strife and increased conflict around the world has combined to stretch supply chains to what feels to many like its breaking point. However, the supply chain cannot ever truly snap without compromising retailers – so it’s ever forced to adapt. Currently, there is a push to use new technology to boost visibility in evolving supply chain strategies and this will soon be essential for quick responses in a crisis. Food companies are realising the need to integrate Industry 4.0 technologies into their supply chains. Using modern software across farmers, manufacturers, logistics and delivery companies can forecast delays and disruptions. This additionally helps in adjusting to changes in the market and demand fluctuations. This enhanced visibility of supply chains will only become more important as companies react to modern expectations and regulations. Consumers want to know where their food comes from, how animals have been treated and ingredients have been grown, whether goods are sustainably sourced. Though some companies in the industry are restricted by legacy software and siloed operations, unable to be agile (bolstering supply chain problems 18 Á partners allow enhanced tracking and tracing of ingredients at any moment, across a network, and enables detailed documentation of ingredients and processes to be delivered. Using modern software across farmers, manufacturers, logistics and delivery partners allow enhanced tracking and tracing of ingredients at any moment, across a network, and enables detailed documentation of ingredients and processes to be delivered. Tools being utilised include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), cloud, and automation, and real time data is facilitating the close monitoring of the movement of goods. Paired with predictive analytics, end to end visibility is enabled, and 18 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SUPPLY CHAIN SPOTLIGHT across the world), many manufacturers and retailers have already set sights on gaining access to detailed ledgers that track and trace materials from farm to fork, allowing for possible problems in the supply chain to be identified, better predictions, increased food safety and easier recalls, and the potential for food fraud to be mitigated. Some companies are using continuous communication logs, with all players in the supply chain connected and exchanging data, whether that relates to cargo location, humidity and temperature readings, or inspection checkpoints. Moreover, data-driven intelligence can be leveraged in real time, to strengthen visibility, transparency and accountability across the food supply chain. The use of sustainable vehicles will quickly become more important with an increase in HGV movements predicted and the UK government’s recent announcement that new, non-zero tailpipe emission HGVs over 26 tonnes will be phased out in 2040, © stock.adobe.com/ChlorophylleFood & Drink International 19 www.fdiforum.net SUPPLY CHAIN SPOTLIGHT with those under 26 tonnes to be phased out in 2035. EVs have been a central talking point when it comes to bolstering the environmental credentials of logistics and transport, and innovation as well as falling battery costs are boosting opportunities for electric HGVs, while there are plans for an electric motorway with cables to power electric lorries through Lincolnshire, but it is not the only avenue for carbon reduction, with trucks fuelled by compressed natural gas for instance another solution. Additionally, operators are changing business practices to improve the efficiency of their fleet operations and conducting training to encourage driver behaviours that lower fuel consumption and emissions. There is more to be done however across all transport modes and the entire supply chain. Advances in digitalisation and AI are offering further methods of making logistics more efficient and sustainable. They allow mistakes to be eliminated and complete visibility of a journey to be provided. Routes and transit methods can be assessed to improve efficiency and carbon emissions, while the IoT and its sensors can be used to monitor and collect data on speed, tyre pressure, driver behaviour, et al., which all impact fuel consumption and emissions. All this tech together creates chances for enhanced planning and control, opens up optimisation potential, and is key to setting emission targets by allowing accurate current emissions to be calculated. Real time transport visibility platforms are already becoming standard in the industry and many of these can also be utilised to collect data for sustainability calculations. Opportunities from digitalisation apply throughout a journey, including truck dispatch at a facility - with digitalised processes and intelligent time slot management, truck congestion and waiting times can be reduced and significant CO2 savings made as a result. © stock.adobe.com/phaisarnwong2517Next >