The FMT Blog
Opinion, analysis and musings from the FMT editorial team and expert guest writers about the food processing and manufacturing sector.
Patisserie Valerie confirms arrest of finance chief
The owner of café chain Patisserie Valerie has confirmed its finance director Chris Marsh was arrested last night (11th October) after allegedly "significant, and potentially fraudulent, accounting irregularities" were uncovered. Patisserie Holdings plc announced...
DNA testing in Scotland reports issue
Information collected by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) showed that 631 tests were carried out last year in which it said that 48 of the tests were ‘contaminated’ with the meat of an animal that was not on the label or menu description. According to a report from FSS,...
Tesco removes more best before dates
Tesco is set to remove over a hundred more best before dates from its fruit and vegetables, as customers say it helps them reduce food waste. Newly commissioned research reveals 69% of customers believe scrapping best before dates is a good idea. Research shows 53% of...
Organic sector calls for clearer Brexit
A clear contingency plan to ensure the continued trade of organic produce with the EU in a ‘no deal’ Brexit is being called for by The Organic Trade Board (OTB) and the United Kingdom Organic Certifiers Group (UKOCG). “There has been speculation about how the UK will...
Unilever rethinks plans to relocate headquarters
Unilever has announced it is scrapping plans to ‘simplify its dual-headed legal structure’ with the relocation of its headquarters. The proposal released earlier this year suggested that the headquarters of Unilever would become a single holding company in Rotterdam,...
Calbee UK acquires Seabrook Crisps
Calbee UK has announced that it has acquired the Seabrook Crisps business for an undisclosed sum, which Calbee UK see as "good news" for the UK snack industry. The purchase brings the Seabrook brand into the Calbee UK portfolio as well as its bagged-snack private...
Institute of Food Science & Technology calls for new allergen labelling laws
The Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) is calling for culture change and a review of allergen labelling legislation for food items. Teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died in July 2016 from anaphylaxis caused by sesame. The recently completed inquest...
Tesco’s sales up 12.8% in second quarter results
Tesco’s latest results reveal group sales have hit £28.3bn and are up 12.8%. The UK and Republic of Ireland are driving the positive figures, with sales up 3.8%. However, Central Europe LFL sales declined by 1.5% and the retailer states this is due to the impact of...
UK Sausage Week competition judging wraps up on a roll
Around 500 bangers were put to the taste test this week by the UK Sausage Week competition's team of expert judges. The judging panel, headed up by Institute of Meat CEO Keith Fisher, gathered at The Regional Food Academy at Harper Adams University. Keith was assisted...
Plastic waste progress revealed by Cranswick
The progress made by Cranswick plc since announcing its plastics pledge in February and becoming a signatory of the UK Plastic Pact in April has been shared. Cranswick has removed 450 tonnes of plastic through targeted reduction initiatives such as scrapping...