Foodservice industry news

Foodservice industry news. Stay up to date with the latest news articles, information and press releases. Footprint bring you the key news and information from the UK foodservice sector.

Footprint trends 2019: fake steak is heading for your plate

Forget the lab-built burger, now it’s all about cultured steak, says David Burrows. In recent years, millions of pounds have been ploughed into developing meat products that don’t require any animals to be slaughtered. The big meat processors have also made “strategic” investments in this area of food tech. “The prototypes are incredibly compelling,” Liz…

Government told to delay plastics consultations

Food groups are pushing for consultations on a plastics tax and a new deposit return scheme to be postponed while the industry deals with the fallout from Brexit. Sky News reported this week that 32 trade associations, including UK Hospitality and the Food and Drink Federation, have written to Environment Secretary Michael Gove saying they…

Brits urged to eat more mackerel after Brexit

The government should encourage the British public to eat more oily fish species caught by British vessels after Brexit, according to a report. The most popular species in the UK like cod and haddock have to be largely imported, while species that are plentiful in UK waters such as mackerel and herring are mostly exported…

Link farm payments to obesity plans, say experts

EU Member States should be required to develop healthy diet plans in order to unlock farm payments, according to a new report. The idea is one of 80 concrete proposals set out in a new Common Food Policy for Europe which also calls for food suppliers to be accountable for ensuring their supply chains are…

Why campaigners are trying to make animal feed a mainstream issue in 2019. By Nick Hughes. Ask your average restaurant diner what they think about the feed behind their food and there’s a fair chance you’ll be greeted with a blank expression. Ask the same question in 12 months’ time and the hope is the…

Fast food brands under fire from investors over climate risks

Investors worth £5 trillion have claimed that some of the world’s largest foodservice chains are ignoring the environmental impact of their supply chains. Domino’s Pizza, McDonald’s, Restaurant Brands International (owners of Burger King), Chipotle Mexican Grill, Wendy’s Co. and Yum! Brands (owners of KFC and Pizza Hut) have continued to expand with little concern for…

Analysis: No more sweeping waste under the carpet

A new strategy suggests the government is finally getting tough on food businesses. By Nick Hughes. Is the government about to get tough on food waste? There was plenty of posturing to that effect in the recently published Waste and Resources Strategy, which sets out the government’s plans to preserve resources by minimising waste, promoting…

Organic sales up almost 8% in foodservice

Organic sales into foodservice increased 7.8% in 2018 to £90.9m; five years ago the market was worth only £48.8m. Of the total, £19.5m came through the Soil Association’s Food for Life scheme. The double digit increases of previous years have slowed due to public spending cuts and “political uncertainty”, said the Association, but sales were…

Extreme weather threatens fresh produce and wine

Supplies of British fresh produce and wine are under threat from climate change, prompting calls for the whole food chain to act faster to limit carbon emissions. Severe flooding or storms have affected more than half of all UK farms in the past decade. Drought and extreme heat last year resulted in a 20% drop…

Obesity targets missed but companies have “stepped up”

No country is on track to achieve the adult obesity target, with 39% of the world’s adults overweight or obese and 43.7% of children drinking soda every day, according to a new report. Now in its fifth edition, the Global Nutrition Report tracks country progress against nine of the global nutrition targets. It is the…