Standardised product information for the whole grocery supply chain has been opened up to mobile devices via a data management service launched by global data standards (GDS) body GS1 UK (Foodmanufacturing.co.uk) TrueSource gives food and drink brand owners, their suppliers and retailers online access to a single source of accurate, consistent product and order data across the whole supply chain. Changes to data can be made online in real time. Ownership... read more →
Finsbury Food Group has become embroiled in a spat with insurers over who will cover the cost of recalling products caught up in the egg dioxin scare. (Foodmanufacturing.co.uk) The baker, which posted a 6% rise in sales in the six months to Jan 1, recently received a batch of liquid egg containing a small percentage of eggs from a farm in Germany that were potentially affected by the dioxin contaminated feed incident. The egg was used by Finsbury’s Memory... read more →
A UK organisation working to fight food poverty in cities is seeking a trustee from the food industry to spread the word that donating excess or waste products to the community can bring positive PR – not brand damage. (Foodanddrinkeurope.com) FoodCycle started operating in 2009 with its first community ‘hub’ in London, and now has four hubs in London and others in Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool and Norwich. The organsisation... read more →
A UK government-commissioned study into food security has called for urgent action to avert global hunger. (By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News) A UK government-commissioned study into food security has called for urgent action to avert global hunger. The Foresight Report on Food and Farming Futures says the current system is unsustainable and will fail to end hunger unless radically redesigned. It is the first study across a range of disciplines... read more →
Interest in seaweed granules as a salt replacer has soared in the last year, according to the producer, as the first results of a UK government-funded study indicate high consumer acceptability of various bread in which it replaced 50 or 100 per cent of the salt. (Bakery&snacks.co.uk) The Outer Hebridean Seaweed Company, which produces Seagreens branded consumer products and ingredients from Arctic wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) attracted UK government... read more →
A leading animal welfare group has called on the European Commission to enforce current legislation in the transport of animals. (Meatinfo.co.uk) The Eurogroup for Animals was commenting following the release of a new scientific report that suggested new techniques to alleviate animal suffering. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recommended that semen and embryos are transported rather than the animals, as well as calling for more carcase... read more →
A project to create the world’s first genetically modified (GM) chicken that does not spread avian flu has been criticised. (Meatinfo.co.uk) The scheme by scientists at Edinburgh University, which was unveiled last week, “poses a greater threat to human health”, according to the Soil Association. However, the team behind the initiative believe their work demonstrates it is possible to create a variety of GM farm animals resistant to viral diseases. The... read more →
The food industry needs to move away from a short-term mentality if it is to tackle issues surrounding food security, an industry leader has warned. (Meatinfo.co.uk) Speaking at the City Food Lecture this week, Paul Polson, MD of Unilever, told the audience his company had stopped announcing quarterly results and was telling investors looking for short-term gains to look elsewhere. “We have made it clear to investors that if they are looking to make... read more →
