Grocery sector news updates

Latest grocery news and information for businesses, consumers, restaurants, school and hospital cafeterias, catering operations and other foodservice providers.

Iceland demands greater plastic transparency

Iceland demands greater plastic transparency
Iceland has revealed it used over 32,000 tonnes of plastic across its UK and international operations in 2019 as the retailer called on the government to make reporting of plastic packaging mandatory for businesses. Iceland managing director Richard Walker described the results as “simply terrifying” in a blog post in which he noted that Iceland…
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Supermarkets push plant-based ready meal ranges – but not enough

Supermarkets push plant-based ready meal ranges – but not enough
The proportion of plant-based ready meals available in supermarkets has increased from 3% to 16% in the past two years. A survey of 2,404 meals by Eating Better also showed that 24% were either vegan or vegetarian. The vegetarian options remain heavily reliant on cheese, which is an ingredient in 70% of the meals. Eating…
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Tesco project targets food waste in the home

Tesco project targets food waste in the home
Tesco has partnered with environmental charity Hubbub on an intensive six-week trial to reduce food waste in the home. The No Time for Waste Challenge will test a series of interventions ranging from help with meal planning to leftover-inspired cooking sessions with professional chefs. The project kicks off as new research from Tesco shows covid-19…
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Morrisons ditches plastic for paper bags

Morrisons ditches plastic for paper bags
Morrisons plans to replace plastic “bags for life” with reusable paper bags if a trial in eight stores is successful. The supermarket said the move was in response to evidence showing that reusable plastic bags, although stronger and thicker than their single-use predecessors, are often used once before being binned. Morrisons is planning to remove…
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Subsidise veg to tackle obesity – think tank

Subsidise veg to tackle obesity – think tank
The government should subsidise vegetables and require all public sector food to meet dietary guidelines in order to tackle obesity. The recommendations were made in a new report from cross-party think tank Demos which said too many people in the UK face significant barriers to eating a healthy diet. It called on the government to…
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Tesco demands new rules for deforestation-free supply chains

Tesco demands new rules for deforestation-free supply chains
Tesco has called on the government to introduce a new requirement for all food companies to ensure their food is deforestation-free and set national targets for meat reduction. The UK’s largest grocer said that as part of its National Food Strategy, the government should mandate companies to introduce effective due diligence across supply chains to…
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New obesity strategy could be lightweight and a “waste of money”

New obesity strategy could be lightweight and a “waste of money”
The government is expected to announce a new strategy to help people lose weight next week, but there are fears that the focus will be on personal responsibility rather than policies that make healthy living and eating easy. A group of eight directors of public health in the North West this week wrote to the…
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New climate roadmap for foodservice, grocery and retail

New climate roadmap for foodservice, grocery and retail
Greggs and Costa are among 20 retailers to have signed a declaration to tackle climate change throughout their supply chains. They have made three broad commitments to: decarbonise their shops, distribution centres and logistics operations; reduce emissions in supply chains; and “guide our customers towards dramatically lowering their own carbon footprint”. The third commitment has…
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Boost for products boasting “health halo”

Boost for products boasting “health halo”
Sales of spices like turmeric and ginger have increased during the Covid-19 pandemic as consumers seek out ingredients that will boost their immune system. “With the coronavirus there has been a surge in interest in food and ingredients related to immunity,” Julian Mellentin, director at consultancy New Nutrition Business, told The FT. US sales of…
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