In 2005, retailers in the UK were challenged by the then Government to do more to tackle the serious issue of underage sales and underage drinking. The formation of the Retail of Alcohol Standards Group and the development of the Challenge 21, and subsequently Challenge 25, was a direct result of that
challenge and the scheme is now commonplace in supermarkets and increasingly common amongst independent retailers and in the on-trade.

The Licensing Act 2003 introduced mandatory conditions on every alcohol  licence, including one that requires all premises to have a policy in place in order to prevent underage sales.

Guidance for WSTA members on labelling their products.

In compliance with the Criminal Finances Act 2017, it is necessary to take reasonable steps to prevent out employees, agents and partners from committing offences of tax evasion in the UK and elsewhere. This is also important from anti-money laundering, due diligence and normal commercial perspectives.

Recent meetings of the Wine and Spirit Technical Committee have discussed the formation of sediment associated with use of CMC in winemaking. The Committee agreed at its meeting in September 2015 to prepare a paper outlining key factors to be aware of when using CMC.

Money laundering is the process of legitimising the proceeds of criminal activity and disguising the source of the funds. It is a multi-billion pound business and it affects every industry. Some industries are particularly vulnerable to being used as conduits to launder the proceeds of criminal activity. Other industries are less so but it is imperative that businesses are alert to the potential risks of becoming involved in money laundering. This requires an understanding of the law in relation to money laundering, the three stages of money laundering and some of the red flag indicators of money laundering activity.

HMRC has issued updated guidance for high value dealers designed to help them comply with the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017. Anyone who makes or accepts high value cash payments must comply with the Regulations. HMRC supervises High Value Dealers under these Regulations.

The Metropolitan Police Service Fraud and Linked Crime Online team has designed this booklet to offer advice to Small and Medium Enterprises on staying safe in the cyber world.

A selected list of HMRC notices and guidance.

The AWRS has three main elements: That you are a fit and proper person to hold registration; That you comply with record keeping requirements; That you exercise due diligence controls. This note summarises the record keeping requirements for wholesalers and trade buyers, whether they are themselves wholesalers or retailers.

As part of the Due Diligence requirement in the various excise regimes, it is necessary to carry out due diligence checks on existing and proposed customers, suppliers and contractors. This is also important from anti-money laundering and normal commercial perspectives.

With the consumer becoming increasingly health conscious and the advent of fast reacting social media platforms, every company should have an organised plan for the withdrawal from distribution of a specific product or a given batch of a particular product. To attempt product recalls/withdrawals – in all probability the most traumatic experience for any company involved in the food and drink sector – without such a plan would simply exacerbate the dissipation of resource, the confusion, indeed ALL the usual knock-on effects
of the cause of such problems.