Taste of Africa event Peckham 4pm 20 Feb 2010

See below for news of an interesting and important event in Peckham on Saturday 20th February 4pm - 7pm at the Copleston Centre, Copleston Road, SE15 4AN
midway between Danby Street and Avondale Rise
Please pass on to anyone you know from Africa, any traders in African goods, anyone interested in Africa, or interested in cooking!
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"Taste of Africa" events to help raise awareness of the Personal Food Imports campaign within the African community

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), as part of its Personal Food Imports Campaign, is encouraging members of the West African community to attend local "Taste of Africa" events. These events will be held at three prominent community centres in London. Members of the public will be able to find out more about the rules and regulations surrounding the campaign, whilst sampling West African food, supplied by local caterers.

It is illegal to bring meat and dairy products for personal use back into the UK from countries outside the EU and there are restrictions on bringing back fish, shellfish, honey, eggs and certain types of fruits and vegetables.

The event will take place on the 20th February at The Copleston Centre in Peckham, from 4pm to 7pm.
During the events, attendees will be given a presentation on the campaign. There will also be an opportunity to engage with Dr. Anna Vanderpuye, the campaign ambassador, and Defra representatives, to ask questions about the campaign and the current restrictions on food items.
The "Taste of Africa" events are open to all local residents. As many members of the African community travel abroad during the Easter holiday season, it is imperative they are made aware of the rules surrounding personal food imports.
If you are interested in attending any of these events, please contact Media Moguls on: 020 8902 5575 and ask for the Personal Food Imports team.
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Notes to editors
Seizures from people travelling to the UK from Western Africa (including Nigeria and Ghana)between April 2008 and March 2009 included:
·         806 seizures of meat products totalling 9,795kg
·         328 seizures of dairy products totalling 3,669kg and 4,469ltrs
·         1,588 seizures of fish products totalling 18,139kg

During the same period a large number of seizures from other regions were made, including:
·         1,154 seizures of meat products totalling 4,446kg from Eastern Europe
·         1,698 seizures of dairy products totalling 7,007kg and 846ltrs from Southern Asia
·         1,564 seizures of fish products totalling 13,173kg from Eastern Asia

·           The Personal Food Imports campaign is run by Defra with support from the UK Border Agency (UKBA), and the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

·           These events are part of a national campaign which incorporates a public information film, radio and print advertising across both ethnic minority and mainstream media. Posters and leaflets are available in English, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Turkish and Urdu.

·         The campaign includes significant community outreach activity with a team of trained staff who visit key locations across the country, including community supermarkets, places of worship and shopping centres to explain the campaign's key messages.

·         Until March 2010, the outreach team will visit over 50 locations around the country. Stops include: London, Birmingham, Bradford, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Wolverhampton.

·            Awareness raising campaigns are only one part of the action to prevent illegal imports. Enforcement activity continues at ports and airports and Defra continues to assess the risks of introduction of animal and plant disease. In 2008/09 there were in excess of 20,000 seizures of illegally imported animal products, with over 191,000kg being seized.

·         For further information on what food products can or cannot be brought back into the UK, call the Defra helpline on 08459 33 55 77 or visit www.direct.gov.uk/foodimports

·         Defra is responsible for policy issues relating to imports of products of animal origin, with Fera (Food and Environment Research Agency) responsible for plants and plant products.  Defra, UKBA and the FSA are together responsible for the delivery of illegal food imports policy.  All three departments are working hand-in-hand to ensure a consistent approach to the core policy messages.

·         UKBA is responsible for anti-smuggling controls on illegal animal products from non-EU countries at ports and airports in Great Britain.  It also has responsibility for detecting illegal food items sent through the post and for enforcing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). UKBA is not responsible for controlling movements of animal products from other EU Member States except where they have not been subject to Customs control elsewhere on arrival in the EU.

·         The FSA is responsible for public heath aspects of food imported into the UK.  The FSA has particular responsibility for policy issues for imports of fishery products, bivalve molluscs and food which is not of animal origin. The FSA has responsibilities for assisting and co-ordinating local enforcement activities of Local Authorities, both inland and at ports, in this aspect of their duties.

To obtain further information/images from the event please contact Media Moguls:
Leila Molaei                020 8902 5575               leila@mediamoguls.com.
Hasiba Rehman           0208 902 5575            hasiba@mediamoguls.com

Hasiba Rehman
Account Manager
Media Moguls
3rd Floor Howarine House | 5-6 Empire Way | Wembley, Middlesex HA9 OXA | United Kingdom
(+44 (0)208 902 5575 | Fax line +44 (0)208 902 5585 |  hasiba@mediamoguls.com
www.mediamoguls.com | The UK's Leading Ethnic Marketing and PR Agency.