Fresh produce

A lack of season workers could push up prices and lead to failed harvests, warned the NFU

Seasonal workers at critically low level, warns NFU

By Gwen Ridler

Harvests could fail and food prices would increase if the industry loses access to EU seasonal workers, warned the National Farmers Union (NFU) and trade body British Summer Fruits, after a fall in staff left food producers critically short of people.

Bans on commonly used pesticides and herbicides threaten to jeopardise the UK’s supply of cost-effective food

Pesticide regulation talks threaten UK food supply chain

By Gwen Ridler

Poor EU decision making about the future of crop protection products could jeopardise the UK’s supply of cost-effectively produced food and cost farmers more than £1bn, warned the National Farmers Union (NFU).

NIm's Fruit Crisps signed a new supply deal with Homemade Speciality Products

Nim’s Fruit Crisps signs new supply deal

By Matt Atherton

Nim’s Fruit Crisps has signed a deal with snacks distributor Handmade Speciality Products to distribute its apple, pear, pineapple, and beetroot and parsnip crisps to the education and healthcare sectors, it was revealed this week (June 12).

The team from the University of Reading took the gold prize in this year's Ecotrophelia awards

Vegetable sushi wins student innovation prize

By Gwen Ridler

Students from the University of Reading have won the UK leg of this year’s Ecotrophelia Awards – the pan-European competition for ecologically inspired innovative new product development (NPD) – in a contest dominated by vegetarian and vegan products. 

Marks & Spencer took a hit to its like-for-like food sales and profits last year

Marks & Spencer’s profits dip as food sales fall

By Gwen Ridler

Marks & Spencer’s (M&S’s) £312.4M fall in profits in the year ending April 1 2017 exceeded market expectations, according to market analysts, as like-for-like food sales for the retailer fell.

The NFU is becoming 'increasingly concerned' about the fruit and vegetable sector

Fresh produce fears ‘growing’ after dry winter

By Matt Atherton

Worries about the impact of dry weather on the nation’s fruit and vegetable crops, and livestock production, have been voiced by farmers, after one of the driest winters in 20 years.

Fyffes has been suspended from the Ethical Trading Initiative (Flickr/@nelli.es)

Fyffes suspended from Ethical Trading Initiative

By Matt Atherton

Fyffes has been suspended from the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) with immediate effect, after an investigation into union claims of workers’ rights abuses in its supply chain.

Food Evolution aims to restore science to the global debate about GM technology

Food science gets the big screen film treatment

By Michael Stones

Food science takes centre stage in a new documentary film, funded by the US-based Institute of Food Technology (IFT), which received its UK premiere in London on Tuesday (May 3).

Jim Moseley has been appointed chief executive of Red Tractor

New Red Tractor boss is Jim Moseley

By Gwen Ridler

Red Tractor Assurance has appointed former Food and Drink Federation president and interim director general and Mizkan Euro md, Jim Moseley as its new chief executive.

Automation of leek packing reduces manual handling

Weighing spotlight

Automation of leek packing reduces manual handling

By Rick Pendrous

Pre-packed salad and vegetable packhouses across the UK – including leek suppliers – often use fixed weight weighing systems to minimise giveaway and waste.

Bakkavor's recruitment drive continues, with 86 vacancies posted at its Cucina Sano site

Bakkavor to hire 86 staff in recruitment drive

By Gwen Ridler

Prepared foods producer Bakkavor is to hire 86 new staff at its Cucina Sano site in Lincolnshire, as it continues its nationwide recruitment drive that saw 250 vacancies posted last week.

The prime minister’s snap general election announcement offers a chance to forge a national food and farming policy, say industry leaders

Election 2017

National debate needed on food and farming policy

By Michael Stones

Politicians should set out their plans to develop the UK’s £108bn food and drink manufacturing sector ahead of the general election on Thursday June 8, insist industry leaders.

Food start-ups are competing for a chance for business mentorship at Rabobank's F&A Next conference

Food start-up competition attracts 120 firms

By Gwen Ridler

More than 120 global food and agriculture start-up firms are competing for a place at the agribusiness bank Rabobank’s business mentorship scheme competition, Foodbytes. 

The Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has failed to deliver, claims Duncan Swift of accountancy firm Moore Stephens

Groceries code boss ‘has failed to deliver’

By Rick Pendrous


The future of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) Christine Tacon and the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) has been put in doubt because so few investigations had been undertaken since they were both set up, a food and drink sector insolvency...

The Brexit clock will begin ticking after Article 50 is triggered today

Prioritise food, urges industry as Brexit triggered

By Michael Stones

The food and drink sector should receive priority in the forthcoming Brexit talks – which will begin after Article 50 is triggered today – urges a range of industry organisations.

Tesco Stores Ltd has been fined £129M for overstating its profits in 2014

Tesco fined £129M for market abuse

By Gwen Ridler

Supermarket giant Tesco’s subsidiary, Tesco Stores Ltd, has agreed to pay a £129M fine in order to avoid prosecution for market abuse, after overstating its profits in 2014.

The UK needs to secure a trade deal with the EU before Brexit happens: EEF

No EU trade deal is worse than a bad deal, claims EEF

By Gwen Ridler

Leaving the EU without a trade deal would be worse than the UK accepting a bad deal, claimed EEF, the manufacturing organisation – and any suggestion otherwise was “simply unacceptable to an industry that accounts for 45% of all UK exports”.

Welsh food and drink boosted by £21M programme

Welsh food and drink gets £21M boost

By Gwen Ridler

Food and drink in Wales is to get a £21M boost, as the Welsh government launches a programme to fund research into food production and safeguard thousands of jobs.

Food manufacturers should follow Lidl’s example and buy more British food, urged the NFU

Food firms should buy more British food: NFU

By Michael Stones

Food manufacturers should buy more British food, urges the National Farmers Union (NFU), after thanking discount retailer Lidl for backing British food and farming.

View our photogallery of the top seven food and drink trends for 2017, according to the BBC Food and Farming Awards' judges

Food and Farming Awards’ top seven trends

By Gwen Ridler

The BBC Food and Farming Awards identified seven top trends – including a focus on alcoholic drinks and ethnic flavours – based on the hundreds of entries in this year’s awards.

Labour turnover has continued to fall year-on-year, as manufacturing workers increasingly prefer to sit tight

Labour turnover falls again – as workers sit tight

By Michael Stones

Labour turnover in the British workforce fell to 14% last year – down from 16% in the previous year, according to the latest Annual Labour Turnover data from EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation.

Growing Underground is one of three finalists in the BBC Future Food Award

BBC Future Food Award finalists revealed

By Michael Stones

The BBC Future Food Award finalists include an underground urban salad producer, a seaweed producer and a community seed co-operative.

Food popularity: avocados were second in the IRI list, up 28% on 2015

Almond milk and avocados top fastest-growing food

By Noli Dinkovski

Almond milk, avocados and new flavours of water were the three fastest-growing food product categories in 2016, as consumers began to embrace the ‘clean-eating’ trend.

A fatal grain silo accident has resulted in a £50k fine

Grain silo death results in £50k fine

By Gwen Ridler

A fatal accident in a grain storage facility resulted in a £50,000 fine for farming firm Maurice Mason Ltd last week (Friday March 10).

Pea production: the new plant will trade under the name Yorkshire Greens

Pea plant to be one of UK’s greenest food factories

By Noli Dinkovski & Matt Atherton

Frozen food producer d’Arta UK is to join forces with a farmer co-operative and a bio-energy firm to build what it claims will be one of the UK’s greenest food processing facilities.

Tesco's organic food sales rose 15% over the past year

Tesco’s organic sales climb 15%

By Matt Atherton

Tesco’s total organic food sales increased 15% over the past year, the supermarket revealed, as organic fish and dairy products proved more popular with shoppers.

Morrisons searches for hundreds of extra farmer suppliers. Photo by Jonathan Colon, skatesphere.com

Morrisons seeks at least 200 new British suppliers

By Matt Atherton

Morrisons is seeking at least 200 new British food and drink suppliers, it revealed today (February 17), after a report claimed only 52% of food eaten in the UK came from British farmers.

Tesco could be prosecuted for displaying out-of-date promotions on its shelves

Tesco could be prosecuted for out-of-date labels

By Gwen Ridler

Tesco’s failure to remove out-of-date promotional labels from its shelves is a criminal regulatory offence, which could lead to fines – and even imprisonment of individuals found guilty, a law firm has claimed.

The US market is a big oportunity for GM-free products

Business Leaders' Forum

GM-free food is big US export opportunity for manufacturers

By Matt Atherton

Exporting food free from genetic-modification (GM) to the US is a big opportunity for UK food manufacturers, according to Northern Ireland-based prepared vegetable supplier Mash Direct.

The NFU is lobbying government to ensure its members don’t lose out after Brexit

Business Leaders’ Forum

NFU seeks level playing field for post-Brexit

By Rick Pendrous

The National Farmers Union (NFU) is actively lobbying government to ensure British farmers are not disadvantaged compared with their main competitors in Europe following Brexit, its president Meurig Raymond told the Food Manufacture Group’s Business Leaders’...

Food exports: ‘We are not the first cab on the rack’ in Asia and Middle Eastern markets,’ said John Giles

Business Leaders’ Forum

Asia offers strong food and drink export opportunities

By Rick Pendrous

The prospects for driving up UK exports of food and drink to countries around the world are good, provided there is sufficient ambition among UK manufacturers themselves and the government recognises the need to support them in achieving their potential.

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