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.

Plastic pollution health risks: we need to know more, says WHO

Microplastics in drinking water “don’t appear to pose a health risk” at current levels but there are a number of “gaps” in the research, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). “Quality-assured toxicological data are needed on the most common forms of plastic particles relevant for human health risk assessment,” WHO noted in its new…

Unpacking the problem with life cycle analyses

Companies are desperate to understand which packaging materials have the lowest environmental impact, but are life cycle analyses being manipulated and misused to present skewed results? By David Burrows Huhtamaki’s new life cycle analysis (LCA) research comparing different types of cups makes some pretty bold claims. This one in particular stands out: “In most everyday…

‘Frankenfish’ – will buyers take the bait?

David Burrows looks at whether consumers in the US and Europe are ready to take the leap and purchase genetically engineered salmon now that it’s a commercial reality. Would you eat salmon that has been genetically engineered to grow faster on less food? That is the question US consumers will soon be asking themselves as…

A public health green paper destined for the trash?

Nick Hughes analyses whether the latest proposals to reduce childhood obesity will ever be enacted given they are part of a green paper published on the quiet before Boris Johnson became PM. It’s a tried and tested tactic in politics to choose July or August to publish a document you hope will garner little attention.…

Responding to a recent Footprint story on the problems with compostable packaging, David Newman, of the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association, argues that it has an important role to play. Footprint does a great job of exposing flaws in our food, packaging and waste systems. Last month it targeted compostable packaging, but I think some…

Johnson’s actions speak louder than words

With there being little of substance to chew on in his first speech as the country’s PM, perhaps the key to understanding Boris Johnson’s intentions lies not in his rhetoric but in his appointments, writes Nick Hughes A Great British eccentric whose unique brand of chutzpah will secure a golden future for his country? Or…

Plastics Package: No time for toying around

This month’s package is committed to reduction (and is doing it for the kids) Schools have all shut up shop for the summer holidays, leaving many parents facing a rollercoaster six weeks of juggling childcare, work and the cost of ice cream on popular family days out. We have thus condensed this month’s Package. Puffery…

Eating Better targets 50% chop in meat consumption

The ambitious goal, to be achieved by 2030, would represent the most radical shift in diets since the Second World War, writes Nick Hughes From cutting sugar to ditching plastics, foodservice businesses are no strangers to being set demanding targets. But the latest call to action around meat reduction may be the most ambitious yet.…

“Trailblazer” councils receive £1.5m to tackle obesity

Restaurants and takeaways that improve menus and incentivise healthier options will be offered free waste removal and subsidised advertising rates. The trial, led by Blackburn with Darwen council, is one of a number of initiatives being funded and supported by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Local Government Association (LGA) and Public Health…

Plastic inaction may pose real risk to human health

Plastic pollution began as an environmental disaster with choking turtles and birds feeding their young on packaging. But it’s evolving into a public health crisis that food brands and regulators can no longer ignore. David Burrows reports. Last year’s Volvo Ocean Race lasted eight months and covered 45,000 nautical miles. En route, one of the…