Fresh produce

One Scottish firm has been fined £2,000 for supplying staff to a potato processing and packaging plant without a gangmaster’s licence

Six charged in unlicensed food workers case

By Rod Addy

The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) has assisted in the prosecution of six people believed to be involved in human trafficking to supply flower packing and meat processing workers.

British kale is known to be rich in antioxidants, calcium and vitamin A

Kale popularity soars on back of celebrity endorsements

By Gary Scattergood

Kale has become the ‘must use’ ingredient for UK soup and snack manufacturers that are increasingly tempted by its nutritional benefits and attractive appearance, according to the latest industry insights.

Morrisons expects deliveries to customers to start by January 2014 after its deal with Ocado

Morrisons strikes online grocery deal with Ocado

By Mike Stones

Supermarket Morrisons has agreed a partnership with the online distribution business Ocado – including the acquisition of its distribution centre – in a deal that will see deliveries to customers start by January 2014.

Justin King – 'the grandad of UK supermarkets' – is likely to remain at the helm of Sainsbury at least for the short term, said Shore Capital

Sainsbury ‘grandfather’ praised for sound results: City

By Mike Stones

Sainsbury boss Justin King – “the grandfather of UK supermarkets” – has drawn praise from City analyst Shore Capital, after the nation’s third largest retailer reported sales, including fuel, up by 4.5% to £23.3bn for the year to March 16.

Police and the FSA are awaiting the results of toxicology tests

Double fatality in apple packing shed

By Mike Stones

Police and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating the death of two farm workers in the 20s, who fell unconscious in an apple packing shed on a Conservative peer’s country estate in Hampshire.

Iron-rich potatoes, delivered by nanotechnology, could be cheaper and more effective than dietary supplements

Nanotech unearths iron-enriched potatoes to tackle anaemia

By Mike Stones

Pioneering nanotechnology research to enrich the iron content of potatoes could result in a range of fortified crops, according to researchers at Nottingham Trent University’s School of Science and Technology.

The UK Border Agency arrested five suspected immigration offenders in a raid at a Somerset egg production facility

Illegal food workers: two deported and two jailed

By Lorraine Mullaney

Two illegal workers have been jailed for documentation offences and two deported after the UK Border Agency (UKBA) arrested five immigration offenders in a raid at a Somerset egg production facility.

What a waste: up to 50% or 1.2‒2bn tonnes of annual global food production never reaches a human stomach

Governments should tell retailers to cut food waste

By Mike Stones

Governments in developed nations should tell retailers not to reject foods on the basis of appearance, in a bid to prevent half of all food ending up as waste, according to a new report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) .

In the soup: Tesco’s decision to stock its own-label New York Soup Co and delist New Convent Garden Soup was a sign of things to come: Kantar

Own-label foods to continue gains over branded: Kantar

By Laurence Gibbons

Branded food manufacturers are set to suffer further losses in market share as own-label products continue to grow in popularity, according to consumer market researcher, Kantar Worldpanel.

Made in the UK: SITA plans a project to produce 10% of all UK tomatoes

£30M plan for UK tomato business

By John Wood

Plans for a £30M tomato growing business in Suffolk, which could produce about 10% of the UK’s tomatoes using heat from a nearby incinerator, have been unveiled.

Stark claimed the prosecution was

Food manufacturer in row over £23,500 labels fine

By Mike Stones

A Suffolk food firm claims its £23,500 fine for making false claims about the ingredients in its pesto was “heavy handed” and “wasted public money”, adding that Cambridgeshire County Council backed its view.

Pregnant women should avoid the high levels of acrylamide sometimes found in chips, according to new research

Acrylamide may cause low birth weight: New research

By Mike Stones

New research has linked foods rich in acrylamide, such as chips, to a higher risk of low birth weight children, while levels of the chemical in chips are rising, according to a separate report the European food watchdog the European Food Safety Authority...

Neil Houghton, general manager, Mash Direct

Mash maker

By Mike Stones

Cold rainy weather always boosts sales at Mash Direct. Not surprisingly, 2012 has proved a busy year, general manager, Neil Houghton tells Mike Stones

The worst drought in the US for 50 years has pushed crop prices up

Food prices to rise as harvests suffer

By Anne Bruce

Retailers are unlikely to see sales volumes on food recover in the next year, as prices will be pushed up due to a poor worldwide harvest, economists suggest.

When's a calorie not a calorie? When it comes from an almond

Almonds have 20% fewer calories than thought

By Mike Stones

The calorific value of almonds is 20% less than previously thought, leading to gross overestimations of their energy value, according to new US research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN).

Thomas Gilpin was among the food industry leaders recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list

Food industry leaders in Queen’s Birthday Honours

By Mike Stones

Food and drink business people, scientists and administrators were among those honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Here’s our selection of who was awarded which award and for what reason.

Creagh: Action needed to reduce food waste in the developing world

Euro crisis will impact security of supply chain

By Rick Pendrous

Shadow environment minister Mary Creagh has warned of the dangers of economic turmoil accompanying a break-up of the euro, which she said would dash any hopes of securing more sustainable food supplies.

Guidance on allergen action levels is being developed

Pressure builds to agree EU food allergen action levels

By Rick Pendrous

Momentum is building to agree EU allergen management action levels that firms could use within their operations and for labelling purposes, according to Food and Drink Federation (FDF) experts.

Derek Wiles, operations manager

The oil business

By Rod Addy

Derek Wiles shares his stories of life in the fresh olive oil business. Rod Addy reports

Plates lower batches of bags into receptacles, which prevents bruising

System helps to eliminate fruit factory waste

By Freddie Dawson

The "first-ever" automated system capable of loading bagged produce into receptacles for transportation aims to help eliminate unnecessary wastage of fruit in factories.

The new electronic nose technology could cut fruit waste by up to 30%

New electronic nose detects fruit ripeness

By Mike Stones

A new electronic nose designed to detect ripeness could save millions of pounds each year in preventing the wastage of fruit and vegetables, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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