Fresh produce

2 Sisters Food Group has announced plans to close its Witham processing facility

2 Sisters to close poultry site

By Aidan Fortune

2 Sisters Food Group has announced plans to close one of its poultry processing plants in a bid to grow efficiencies in its supply chain.

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.

Sales of ethically-sourced food and drink grew to £8.2bn in 2018

UK ethical food sales worth £8.2bn

By Gwen Ridler

Sales of ethical food and drink in the UK hit £8.2bn in 2018 and are projected to continue growing through 2019, according to new research by Mintel.

Step onto the show floor at IFE 2019 in this video

Innovation on show at IFE 2019

By Gwen Ridler

From low calorie meringue bars to vegan ready meals, this year’s International Food & Drink Event (IFE) showcased the latest innovations in the industry – captured in our whistle-stop video tour.

Health and safety failings have cost Braegate Produce Ltd £50k and C H Cole & Sons £30k

Potato processing firms fined for safety failings

By Gwen Ridler

Potato processor Braegate Produce has been fined £50,000 for health and safety failings, while a separate potato processing line accident has cost one Essex firm more than a £30,000 penalty.

Vbites owner Heather Mills has purchased her third food factory

Heather Mills buys third food factory

By Gwen Ridler

Heather Mills, owner of vegan food manufacturer VBites, has purchased the former Coty/Procter & Gamble factory in Newcastle for an undisclosed sum.

Warnings have been issued to Government over a lack of clarity surrounding Brexit

Meat industry issues Brexit warnings

By Aidan Fortune

The British Poultry Council (BPC) has called on the Government to ensure that the population continues to have access to quality food once the UK leaves the EU.

Simply Lunch managing director Sam Page (centre), with brothers Jack (left) and William (right), is confident the firm’s bullish outlook will help it ride the Brexit storm

Me & My Team

Simply Lunch on the same page

By Sam Page

The boss of the family-run food-to-go business explains how they built an empire – and a strategy for overcoming Brexit uncertainty.

Essex-based grower Angflor has been acquired by Florette owner Agrial Fresh Produce

Florette owner expands UK operations

By Aidan Fortune

Agrial Fresh Produce, owner of salad brand Florette, has made steps to ensure year-round production in the UK by acquiring Essex-based grower Angflor.

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.

The UK and the US are currently at odds over differing food standards including poultry production

US-UK food standards war breaks out

By Aidan Fortune

The Government has been warned against a “race to the bottom” in food standards, following the US ambassador’s suggestion that the UK embrace practices such as chlorine-washed chicken.

Organic food sales grew in 2018

Organic food sales on the rise

By Gwen Ridler

Sales of organic food in the UK grew 5.3% in 2018 to £2.33bn, boosted by consumer interest in free-from options and healthy eating, according to a report by certification body the Soil Association.

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.

The use of robots in farms could spell the future of food production in the UK

Adoption of robotics defines future of food production

By Gwen Ridler

The future of food production in the UK will be defined by the adoption of robotics and innovative new technology to help address the “productivity challenge” faced by producers, according to a new report for the National Farmers Union (NFU).

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.

Greencore has set in motion its plans to cope with a no-deal Brexit

Greencore plans for no-deal Brexit

By Gwen Ridler

Convenience foods manufacturer Greencore is working with its customers to manage supply chain disruption in the worst-case scenario of a no-deal Brexit.

A no-deal Brexit would disrupt the flow of food imports into the UK and raise prices, retailers have claimed

Retailers press Government to avoid no-deal Brexit

By Rod Addy

The bosses of grocery retailers including Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose and McDonald’s have voiced concerns about the “significant risks to maintaining the choice, quality and durability of food” posed by a no-deal Brexit.

Food and drink trends for 2019

Key food and drink trends for 2019

By Noli Dinkovski

From pegan diets to cannabidiol oil, we offer a snapshot of what 2019 holds for the UK food and drink industry.

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.

Karia shared his plans to grow the Janke & Nayns' brand in the next three years. Left to right: Jake Karia, wife Neeyantee and brother Naynesh

Me & My Team

Street food brand shares growth plans

By Jake Karia

Managing director Jake Karia, wife Neeyantee and brother Naynesh have ambitious plans to grow their award-winning street food-style brand Jake & Nayns’.

The British Free Range Egg Producers Association wants to restore balance to contracts

Egg contracts under scrutiny

By Aidan Fortune

A “gross imbalance” in contracts between egg producers and packers has led to reform calls by the industry trade body.

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.

Concerns over food allergens have reached a new high following two Pret-linked fatalities

In depth: clean-label

The Pret effect takes hold

By Lynda Searby

With allergens increasingly in the spotlight, the Government is to review allergen labelling policy, leaving manufacturers under pressure to comply with more stringent legislation and meet the demands of an increasingly cautious public.

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.

Shore Capital's Clive Black has criticised politicians for Brexit uncertainty

UK an ‘embarrassment’ for lack of Brexit agreement

By Gwen Ridler

The Government’s inability to reassure UK food producers on the future of the industry post-Brexit has made the country an international embarrassment, Shore Capital head of research Clive Black has claimed.

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