THE UK food industry is beginning to make headway at last although a 'consumer is king' culture is taking the edge of performance.
An Food and Drink Federation (FDF) report states that performance has improved in the sector, though only by 0.5 per cent, and the UK still lags behind the US, Japan as well as the rest of Europe.
The study shows that changeover time – switching products on production lines - along with output rates and training have all improved in the last three years.
It also highlights that the skill shortage suffered by the sector is beginning to ease.
But FDF bosses have warned that as far as the food sector is concerned the customer may not always be right for good business.
Food and Drink National Training Organisation chief Tom Evans, spokesman for the report said: 'Ironically, many of the factors hampering the competitiveness of the industry are related to fulfilling retailer and ultimately consumer demand.
'In the UK the customer is king: The study found a high level of order satisfaction – higher than the rest of Europe or the US.
'Retailers in the UK have a wider product range than anywhere else in the world, which provides more choice for consumers but results in higher changeover time which is linked to output and yield and is a major factor in determining our competitiveness.'
