In anticipation of the review of London's wholesale markets, Spielrein told freshinfo: 'What is at stake is the capacity of the markets to guarantee the optimum distribution package to their catering customers.
'Any market that remains purely physical will condemn itself but, on the other hand, to turn into a simple logistic facility would not be the most productive way forward either, because the contact between tenants and customers remains fundamental to the job.' The WUWM's recent annual conference looked at issues related to upcoming enlargement of the EU, international development of the wholesale market collaboration, and how to use national association links to improve the profile of wholesale markets internationally.
Spielrein said: 'Wholesale markets are still a good way for eastern European countries to cope with western European standards as they act both against the black market that is still rife in the east and as a food safety assurance that must be well implemented everywhere in EU territory.
'The risk is that fruit from these countries would not comply with standards.'
