The FMT Blog
Opinion, analysis and musings from the FMT editorial team and expert guest writers about the food processing and manufacturing sector.
March sees record grocery sales as shoppers stock up for lockdown
Supermarkets have recorded the biggest month of grocery sales ever in March as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest market share figures from Kantar. The figures show year-on-year supermarket sales grew by the fastest rate in over a...
2 Sisters CEO says “help us feed the nation”
Ronald Kers, CEO of 2 Sisters Food Group, has called for new workers as the company deals with the demand brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. The company, which is one of the largest food processors in Europe, launched its first-ever nationwide recruitment campaign...
Eustice pays tribute to food workers
Defra secretary, George Eustice, has published an open letter to acknowledge the work of food processors across the country that are continuing to feed the nation during the Covid-19 pandemic. The letter reads: "To those working hard to feed the nation. "In the face...
Food behind two thirds of all European product recalls
New research from recall specialists Stericycle Expert Solutions has found an overall rise of six per cent in the number of items recalled by key industries across Europe in 2019, with food and drink products responsible for two thirds of the overall total. The...
FSA offers Covid-19 guidance to food businesses
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published guidance to assist businesses in the food industry with responding to the Covid-19 outbreak. The new guidance has been developed alongside the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and covers a range...
Supermarkets outline plans to protect staff and customers from Covid-19
Supermarkets have moved to protect both staff and customers from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, outlining a number of steps to help prevent the spread of the disease. At Tesco, chief executive, David Lewis, introduced a number of precautionary steps to all stores...
Industry urges businesses to reduce staff to ‘bare essentials’
In response to the closure of Scotland’s schools and current social distancing advice, Scotland’s leading farming, fishing, food and drink organisations are urging businesses to follow some critical steps to reduce staffing to the bare essentials required to secure...
Defra reassures consumers amidst supermarket rationing proposals
Defra has responded to the claims of a group of scientists that say fruit and vegetables must start being rationed in order to cope with the increasing demand from consumers. Professor Erik Millstone, of the University of Sussex, Tim Lang of the University of London...
The FMT Food Industry Awards film now online
A short video following the recent 2020 FMT Food Industry Awards ceremony and lunch is now exclusively available online, together with a photo gallery from the day. The celebratory lunch, hosted by world renowned Michel Roux Jr, rewarded 16 categories, including...
Supply chain leaders join forces to feed the nation
Supply chain and logistics company SCALA has announced a Covid-19 supply chain emergency working group, bringing together companies supplying the grocery retail sector to ensure that the industry can “Feed the Nation”. The working group, known as the Covid-19 Supply...