Jim Moseley: A man on a roll

Sausage rolls say it all. At least that's what Jim Moseley, boss of General Mills UK & Ireland, thinks. He takes over from Ross Warburton this month as president of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Moseley, who relinquished the chairmanship of the FDF's Food Safety and Scientific Steering Group prior to his elevation, made a name for himself at the Group's meetings for his frequent references to the humble sausage roll to highlight the regulatory and societal pressures facing Britain's food manufacturers.

His parting gift from other members of the Group was a picture of "Jim's sausage roll", because, as Moseley says: "I've always used the sausage roll as the basis for everything that is happening reformulation, front of pack labelling and country of origin labelling everything can be applied to the sausage roll."

Sausage roll ingredients have certainly featured strongly in Moseley's 34-year career in the food business: starting with an abattoir in Sheffield, through to a period in bacon processing and now heading up the UK arm of a US firm that owns Berwick-upon-Tweed- based pastry manufacturing business Just-Rol.

So what will Moseley bring to the party?

A safe pair of hands, with the diplomatic nous not to make any early gaffes about the new coalition government, for a start. Which is important, since he will be expected to reconcile the divergent interests of FDF members.

Moseley needs to gain friends and win influence where it matters and is at pains to applaud what the government is doing. Like his predecessors, his aim is to raise the profile of the sector and keep on good terms with those occupying the corridors of power. And, for the moment, the omens regarding ministers seeking the industry's involvement in helping to fulfil its policy objectives look good.

Given the straitened times we are living in, a successful food sector which has proven itself resilient during the recession should also prove attractive to a government intent on boosting wealth generation and jobs in the private sector as it seeks to cut costs in the public sector, he notes.

Healthy moves​

Moseley applauds the transfer of nutrition and health policy implementation under the coalition from the Food Standards Agency to the Department of Health. He is also optimistic that the industry will be treated as an important partner rather than be regulated to death under the new Responsibility Deal, designed to improve the health of the nation. Details of the Deal are expected to emerge over the next few months.

But, contrary to the protestations of some food lobby groups and sectors of the press, he doesn't expect the industry to be given an easy ride under the new regime. Neither, he claims, will it undergo a metamorphosis (as its critics claim) from 'poacher' to 'gamekeeper' as far as health policy implementation is concerned.

"I see no pressure coming off us: the targets they are looking for; the responsibility that they are putting on industry to be part of the solution to obesity," he says. But he does detect greater pragmatism from the government. "My sense is that through the Responsibility Deals, there is a recognition by government that it can't regulate to deliver and it can't do everything," says Moseley. "So the participation of industry in achieving its objectives is even more crucial than it has been in the past and that is a very positive thing."

But there is a big job to be done and, as everybody knows, all governments respond to public (and tabloid) pressure especially when the going gets tough and there are slim parliamentary majorities to protect. Regardless of the scientific evidence, experience proves that our political masters are not averse to knee-jerk reactions when there are crucial votes in it.

"One of the things that frustrates me a little bit about the UK food industry is that it has been seen as the enemy of government the whipping boy and we are [held] responsible for obesity and this and that," says Moseley. "I don't think we have the greatest of reputations."

Restoration of pride​

Moseley describes himself as "extremely ambitious" in wanting to reverse this sorry picture and "restore some pride back into the UK food and drink manufacturing industry" over his two-year tenure.

"We have to focus on those areas we do really well and do even better, and then focus on some areas where we are not doing so well and improve substantially," he says. He has in mind improving the public's perception about the industry's impact on issues such as obesity and the environment.

"I think a lot of people believe that we have been dragged kicking and screaming to the position we are in, but I don't believe, in reality, that that is true at all," he argues. Moseley cites the huge advances that have been made by manufacturers to reduce saturated fats, sugars and salts in reformulated food products; and through initiatives such as the FDF's Five-Fold Environmental Ambition, to reduce their impact on the planet in support of his case. "But we don't get much credit for that," he says.

He knows it is also critical to transform the industry's image, not least because of its need to attract employees and ensure the sector prospers in the years to come. It needs to become a "career destination for the cream of our talent", he remarks. High-calibre graduates, in particular, will be required to fill crucial roles in innovation and research and development, he adds.

Emerging issues​

Having chaired the FDF's Food Safety and Scientific Steering Group, it is not surprising that new technology features high on Moseley's list of priorities. He is painfully aware of the problems that have dogged the introduction of genetically modified foods and doesn't want nanotechnology to suffer the same fate. Then there are the bigger issues, such as globalisation of the food supply chain, climate change and population growth that will inevitably put strains on limited resources.

However, Moseley is a self-confessed optimist and is confident that market forces will come to the rescue over the next 15 years. "My sense is that the marketplace will determine there is sufficient capacity; that we will be reasonably balanced between supply and demand," he remarks.

Given the lamentable failure of our politicians to date, let's hope he is right.