Foodservice News Analysis

Foodservice news analysis. Get the inside track on the key stories breaking in the foodservice sector, from Footprint’s expert researchers and editorial team.

Interview: Pret’s labelling leader

The high street chain has moved quickly to introduce full ingredient labelling following two allergen-related deaths. Nick Hughes reports. Tom Sugarman is reflecting candidly on how Pret A Manger has accepted the role of standard bearer for the foodservice response to recent allergen tragedies. “We were all devastated by what happened,” says Pret’s UK shops…

Foodservice and hospitality businesses continue to shy away from a high profile global plastics commitment. David Burrows reports. Take-away food chains, hotels and airlines have been urged to join a global initiative to reduce plastic waste and pollution. More than 350 organisations, including 150 businesses, have signed up to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment,…

Government warned off “dangerous” allergen regulations

Better communication between businesses and customers is the most effective way to tackle allergen-related issues, said UKHospitality in its response to the government’s consultation on new regulations. Some of the options under consideration are “potentially dangerous” and impractical, the organisation warned. Defra has proposed an overhaul of food allergen information laws. This followed the tragic…

Linen: sustainability success story or dirty secret?

Old linen is being repurposed for use in punch bags and sofas, but is the route to recycling as watertight as it appears? By Nick Hughes. Linen is the ubiquitous material that has the uncanny ability to hide in plain sight. The foodservice and hospitality industry uses millions of pieces of linen every week in…

GLASS HALF FULL: meals matched and ingredients tracked

Our latest roundup of worthy initiatives features two smaller players with a big appetite for making a difference. Transparency tracker. The threat to food safety posed by Brexit is well known to policy makers who are busy scrambling to plug gaps once the UK loses full access to EU risk management systems. One Cotswolds supermarket…

Casual dining chains are showing a “complete lack of commitment” to reduce salt in their menus, campaigners claim. But don’t tar everyone with the same brush, says David Burrows. What’s the story? Action on Salt investigated the nutritional content of 351 children’s meals sold by chains in the out of home (OOH) sector, focusing on…

The first salt reduction targets set for the out of home sector were “generous”, according to Public Health England. Should businesses prepare for lower limits and even regulation? Work on the salt content of food began in 2004. Since then voluntary reduction targets have been set four times, in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2014. The…

PLASTICS PACKAGE: Rapid rulemaking strikes fear into foodservice

The EU’s single-use plastic law is arriving at high speed but is the foodservice sector prepared? David Burrows reports. As Brexit talks reach breaking point and another series of packaging consultations consumes the food industry, it is little wonder that some of latest EU laws may have slipped under the radar. A case in point…

Analysis: Food 2040 – the trends you need to know

Last month, the National Farmers Union published a report in which it made a series of predictions for what the food and farming industry will look like in 2040. Here are Footprint’s seven key takeaways. Diets will change…. but not as dramatically as many predict. Although consumers will continue to seek out new and novel…

Is the high street running scared on allergens?

Recent tragedies have led to a rise in brands displaying blanket allergen warnings. But does their caution risk driving customers away? Nick Hughes reports. Kingsway, Central London is as close to a perfect location as it gets for a food-to-go brand. Situated a stone’s throw from the West End, the road and its surrounding streets…