Chilled foods

Manufacturers and retailers reduced sugar by 2.9% across 10 categories between 2015–2018

‘Mixed progress’ in sugar reduction: PHE report

By Noli Dinkovski

Breakfast cereal and yogurt manufacturers are leading the way in sugar reduction, but progress in confectionery, biscuits and puddings has stalled, according to Public Health England’s (PHE’s) second-year report on the food industry’s attempt to voluntarily...

Knibss: ‘I always describe it as a bit like walking into a house you’re going to buy and you instantly know that it’s the right place.’ David Knibbs (left) and wife Lydia (right).

Exclusive interview

Riding the meat-free wave at The Tofoo Company

By Gwen Ridler

Finding the perfect small business to build into a nationwide brand has proved to be a massive success, as the owners of The Tofoo Company explain in this exclusive podcast interview.

The FSA has issued two unrelated product alerts on listeria and hygiene issues

Food Standards Agency issues listeria and hygiene warnings

By Rod Addy

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued two alerts warning of potential listeria contamination and a processor supplying products “that have not been produced in accordance with food hygiene and legislative requirements".

Around Noon are to create 94 jobs as part of a £7m investment

Food-to-go firm invests £7m, creating 94 jobs

By Gwen Ridler

Northern Ireland-based food-to-go specialist Around Noon is to create 94 new jobs as part of a more than £7m investment to develop sales in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Suspended production throughout June has led to the closure of The Good Food Chain

The Good Food Chain enters liquidation

By Gwen Ridler

Sandwich producer The Good Food Chain has ceased trading with immediate effect, just days after being cleared of its involvement with a deadly outbreak of listeria by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Kerry Foods supplies own-label products to a range of retailers, including all the top supermarkets

Brewer offers help as hundreds of Kerry jobs go

By Rod Addy

Molson Coors has offered a lifeline to the 900 workers set to lose their jobs at Kerry Foods’ Burton-Upon-Trent ready meals factory as it prepares to close at the end of August.

Lucy Wager's Pudology is one of the brands taking advantage of the free-from desserts sector

Development hub

The pull of free-from puddings

By Ellie Woollven

As vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian trends take hold, start-up firms are capitalising on the free-from puddings sector.

Former Samworth Brothers group chief executive Brian Stein

Ex-boss of Samworth Brothers to chair Branston

By Rod Addy

Brian Stein, former group chief executive of Samworth Brothers, is succeeding Guy McCracken as chairman of potato processor Branston, having been a non-executive director on its board.

Greencore: ‘Clear financial and operational progress’ made

Greencore ‘leaner and stronger’ after restructure

By Noli Dinkovski

Greencore is in a “leaner and stronger” position to grow UK sales after posting strong half-year figures in the wake of a period of restructuring that included the sale of its US business, its group chief financial officer has claimed.

Robson: 'There was a very thorough induction process'

SK Chilled Foods powers ahead with recruitment

By Rod Addy

SK Chilled Foods has examined hundreds of applicants in a recent recruitment drive and the snack foods and ready meals manufacturer has succeeded in filling two thirds of its available posts.

Pret is rolling out ingredients labelling on all its products nationwide

Pret launches nationwide ingredients labelling

By Gwen Ridler

Pret A Manger is to roll out a full list of ingredients for all the fresh food it sells in stores, following the deaths of two customers that suffered allergic reactions from eating its sandwiches.

Kerry's focus on innovation has made them prepared for the future

Development hub

Preparation pays off for Kerry

By Ellie Woollven

Last year, Irish firm Kerry launched a programme targeting changing needs in prepared meals. So, how is the innovation panning out?

Bakkavor makes products such as ready meals and prepared salads and vegetables

Bakkavor defends pay offer as strike hits

By Helen Gilbert

Marks & Spencer (M&S) supplier Bakkavor has defended a 2.75% pay rise offered to staff at its Bo’ness plant and said there were no plans to reopen negotiations.

The Chocolate Fudge (pictured) and Sticky Toffee desserts are claimed to be suitable for 99% of the population

Freaks of Nature enters foodservice market

By Noli Dinkovski

Vegan puddings maker Freaks of Nature has moved into foodservice for the first time after appointing Vegetarian Express to distribute two products to caterers, hotels and restaurants.

Own-label suppliers, including Bakkavor, will be negatively impacted by the Sainsbury's/Asda merger

Sainsbury’s/Asda merger putting suppliers at risk

By Gwen Ridler

Own-label suppliers will be negatively affected by the proposed Sainsbury’s/Asda merger, whether or not it gets approved by the Competition and Mergers Authority (CMA), according to Barclays analysts.

The Government has outlined the tariffs that will be applied should there be a no-deal Brexit situation

Tariff timeline slammed by food industry

By Aidan Fortune

Details of the tariffs that are to be applied to food and drink products in the event of a no-deal Brexit situation have been criticised by the industry.

One-in-four consumers would like to see a change to how non-meat products are labelled

Meat labelling survey calls for debate

By Aidan Fortune

One-in-four consumers believe vegetarian products should not be allowed to have meat-related names like sausage or burger, a survey has found.

Food Standards Scotland has issued a Public Information Statement on the dangers of STEC in food

FSS issues STEC food safety advice

By Aidan Fortune

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has issued a Public Information Statement to make clear its position regarding the presence of a group of harmful E.coli bacteria called STEC in food.

An extension of SK Chilled Foods' South Bank site means the business is hiring more staff

SK Chilled Foods in recruitment drive

By Aidan Fortune

Chilled food manufacturer SK Chilled Foods is to create 30 new roles at its South Bank and Riverside sites in Middlesbrough.

Crisp Sensation has launched ZeroFry which allows the production of crumb-coated snacks without deep-frying

Crisp Sensation launches new coating system

By Aidan Fortune

Food coatings business Crisp Sensation has unveiled a new coating system that enables manufacturers to produce crispy, crumb-coated snacks without the need for pre- or deep-frying.

A relaxation of modified atmosphere-packed foods legislation has been urged by the industry

Call for FSA to relax MAP guidance

By Rick Pendrous

Food safety experts have called for a relaxation of guidance governing the controls on vacuum and modified atmosphere-packed (MAP) chilled foods, which has been claimed to place UK manufacturers at a distinct disadvantage compared with overseas competitors.

The Office for National Statistics studied 17,000 products between September 2015 and June 2017 to determine the rate of shrinkflation

Shrinkflation hits food industry

By Aidan Fortune

The bread and cereals category has been most affected by shrinkflation since 2015, new pricing research has found.

The continuing Brexit debacle has led to representatives from the food industry to call for more time to agree a deal

Food industry demands more time for Brexit deal

By Aidan Fortune

The food industry has called for an extension to Britain’s impending exit from the EU following Parliament’s rejection of the Government’s Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

Detection and inspection equipment is evolving to help with traceability as well as tracing contaminants

Equipment in-depth

Detection and inspection: a vision of the future

By Alyson Magee

The latest detection and inspection equipment can help manufacturers improve quality and traceability as well as reduce contamination and food waste, bringing cost savings too.

Avondale posted turnover growth in 2018 however pre-tax profits were down

Avondale Foods warns against currency fluctuations

By Aidan Fortune

Fresh foods provider Avondale Foods has reported a record turnover for the past year, but has warned that fluctuations between euro and sterling could cause issues in the future.

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