In a week when the Food Foundation reported that more than 7 million adults live in households which went without food in April it’s been dispiriting, albeit grimly inevitable, to see beer and curry dominate the national news agenda. The cost of living crisis – driven by rampant food and energy price inflation – is starting to…

Contract caterers continue to deal with the after-shocks of the pandemic despite a recent recovery in UK sales. Sales from January to March 2022 were 69% higher than the first quarter of 2021 when the country was under lockdown restrictions but still 20% below the figure recorded in the first three months of 2019, according…

Growing consumption of plant-based foods could be responsible for an explosion in cases of an allergy linked to pollen. The Guardian reported this week that cases of pollen food syndrome (PFS) have risen markedly in recent years as a result of global heating, worsening pollution and changes in pollen patterns, citing Dr Isabel Skypala, the only consultant…

It is said that no chicken ever dies of old age, but the UK’s poultry sector is fighting for its life. Input costs like water, labour, energy and feed are all rising. Combine that with trade barriers, shipping delays and a skills shortage, and it’s a recipe for disaster – unless costs can be passed on. …

In September the government announced plans to “tackle shameful tipping practices and ensure all tips go to workers”. But the new tipping legislation has been shelved, according to the Financial Times. Senior government insiders told the paper that the plans have now been dropped from next week’s Queen’s Speech and “for the foreseeable future”.  The government first consulted on tipping,…

Overweight and obesity rates have reached “epidemic proportions” across Europe and are still escalating, with none of the 53 countries in the region currently on track to meet the World Health Organisation global non-communicable disease (NCD) target of halting the rise of obesity by 2025. The WHO report, presented at the European Congress on Obesity, showed…

It’s been a long time since trade buyers and suppliers were able to meet en masse, in-person to do deals and discuss the latest food trends – be they health, sustainability or pure indulgence. That might explain the palpable sense of enthusiasm and excitement surrounding this week’s Food and Drink Expo in Birmingham which has twice been…

Burger King is claiming an industry first by offering UK customers the chance to buy burgers, including its Whopper, in reusable packaging. The fast-food giant has partnered with global reuse platform Loop to pilot a new range of reusable and returnable packaging across selected restaurants in a bid to reduce single-use packaging and value chain…

The Soil Association has called for more investment in UK-grown alternative protein sources after it found evidence of soya associated with highly hazardous pesticides being fed to British livestock. A report by the charity warned of a “hidden scandal” whereby toxic chemicals sprayed on Brazilian soya crops are contributing to the poisoning of people and rare tropical…