Features

Health & Vitality 2019 Roll of Honours Announced!

The initiatives demonstrated in 2019’s Health & Vitality Honours programme have highlighted the advancement in attitudes to health, nutrition and wellbeing in the industry. We have again seen great strides made this year, demonstrating just how important this subject is to the industry and the acknowledgement of the level of responsibility that the sector has -…

Weather issues and exchange rates among the factors keeping prices of food and drink at historic highs

Inflation in foodservice prices reached 3.2% in July 2018, the new Foodservice Price Index from CGA and Prestige Purchasing reveals—extending an upward trend that has seen prices of many food and drink items hit record highs. The figure of 3.2% is more than six times higher than levels measured earlier in 2018. Volatility in currency…

Caterers make huge savings from cutting food waste

Caterers can expect to save £6 for every £1 they invest in food waste reduction initiatives, according to a new study. The research carried out by WRAP and the World Resources Institute (WRI) on behalf of the Champions 12.3 initiative found a compelling business case for food service operators serving hospitals, schools, sports arenas and…

Food-to-go brands rapped for muffin sugar content

Blueberry muffins sold by leading foodservice brands contain more sugar than a can of Coke, according to new analysis. Action on Sugar and the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) surveyed 28 muffins and found huge variations in both their size and sugar content as well as a lack of nutritional information. Costa and McDonald’s were among…

Hospitals have been ordered to stop selling super-size chocolate bars and “grab bags” of sugary snacks. In the next phase of its plan to fight obesity, diabetes and tooth-decay, NHS England announced a 250-calorie limit on confectionary sold in hospital canteens, stores, vending machines and other outlets. In 2018/19, health services will also receive financial…

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Machines are replacing people on farms, food factories and McDonald’s restaurants. But fears that they will make humans redundant are overblown, writes Nick Hughes. When self-service kiosks began rolling out to McDonald’s outlets in 2015, staff could have been forgiven for fearing the worst. The machines, which looked like giant white smartphones, allowed customers to…

Will this be the breakthrough year for equal pay?

Appointing more women to senior roles has long been a priority for companies seeking to present themselves as inclusive places to work. Yet while the journey towards gender diversity in the corporate world has been steady – if a little plodding – progress towards pay equality has been far slower. For those pushing the equal…

Easter bunnies, bitter blows and the thirst for more of the same. David Burrows reflects on the story of the sugar tax so far. In february all the talk was about the rabbit the prime minister might pull out of his negotiating hat in Brussels. That one never materialised (his new deal with the EU…

Evidence shows seafood mislabelling has been tightened up. But there’s still room for improvement in foodservice. Are you getting a raw deal on sushi? Probably not, according to a new analysis of 115 samples of the seafood delicacy at 31 UK bars and restaurants. We “detected a low percentage of substitution”, the experts from the…