The board of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on Wednesday said they would like to see written allergen information be mandated in the non-prepacked sector.
The board added that it will be writing to Ministers to discuss its view.
In the meantime, the FSA will work to develop strong guidance for food businesses on how to provide written allergen information to help drive up compliance and make it easier for people with a food allergy, intolerance and coeliac disease to protect themselves when eating out.
In addition to providing written information, the board also acknowledged that there should be an expectation for a verbal conversation to take place between customers and food business staff, to ensure an added layer of protection for consumers.
“In today’s discussions, it was clear that the Board feel that we should set an expectation that food businesses like coffee shops and restaurants provide allergen information in writing as well as having a conversation,” Professor Susan Jebb, chair on the FSA, said.
“The board also considers that to maximise the likelihood of this happening, written information should be a legal requirement, rather than just guidance. I will write to Ministers in England and Wales, the Permanent Secretary in Northern Ireland and contact my counterpart at Food Standards Scotland to discuss the board’s position as the Board would like to see them take this forward on a four-country basis.
“I would also like to thank the Carey family for all their work in highlighting the importance of this issue since their son Owen died tragically after unwittingly eating food he was allergic to in 2017.”
The Labour government is getting rid of a "shoplifters’ charter" to take a grip on rising retail crime left behind by the Conservative party, prime minister Keir Starmer stated on Wednesday (5) in the Commons Chamber.
Starmer was answering a question raised by Labour MP Claire Hughes when he acknowledged that shoplifting is no more a "low level" crime.
Citing an example of seaside town Llandudno where businesses are struggling with a rise in shoplifting, Hughes raised the concern in the Commons Chamber, adding that thieves are now committing robbery in full view of staff because they have no fear of consequences.
She stated, "The recent funding boost for neighbourhood policing is very welcome, but will the Prime Minister please tell my constituents what more the Government are doing to tackle retail crime and deter repeat offenders?"
Starmer agreed, saying shoplifting is not a victimless crime.
He said, "For far too long, crimes such as shoplifting have been written off as 'low level'.
"That is wrong; such crimes are devastating. The Conservative party left us with rising crime and effectively told the police to ignore shoplifting of under £200-worth of goods.
"We have got rid of that shoplifters’ charter, and we are working hard to ensure that we take a grip where they lost control."
Nearly half a million shoplifting offences were recorded by police in England and Wales in a year, the highest 12-month total on record, according to the data released by Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week.
.A total of 492,914 offences were logged by forces in the year to September 2024, up 23 per cent from 402,220 in the previous 12 months. The figure is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003.
Industry body the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) annual crime survey also shows similar trend.
BRC survey shows that theft and violence against retail workers in Britain soared to record levels last year and are "out of control", driven partly by criminal gangs.
The survey found more than 20 million incidents of theft were committed in the year to Aug 31 2024, which equates to 55,000 a day, costing retailers a total £2.2 billion. There were 16 million incidents in the previous year.
Incidents of violence and abuse in 2023/24 climbed to over 2,000 per day, up from 1,300 the year before. This is more than three times what it was in 2020, when there were just 455 incidents a day.
Incidents included racial or sexual abuse, physical assault or threats with weapons. There were 70 incidents per day which involved a weapon, more than double the previous year, shows BRC survey.
Customer habits of snacking and alcohol consumption are expected to see a major shift in the coming years with growing evidence that weight loss medication users show little interest in snacking, consuming alcohol, or even eating between meals, a recent report has stated.
This was one of the key messages from ‘The 2025 Show’, a virtual event hosted by MMR Research, where top industry voices unpacked what’s coming next for brands and product innovation.
According to event host Andrew Wardlaw, Chief Ideas Officer at MMR Research, GLP-1 medications appear to work in two ways- physically, by lowering blood sugar, delaying gastric emptying, and in some cases, creating feelings of nausea. And neurologically, by interfering with the brain’s reward systems.
“In effect, GLP-1 medications are shutting down desire,” Wardlaw said.
The event featured several real-world consumer experiences, where users shared stories of dramatic reductions in daily cravings.
With the food and beverage industry at risk from the rising incidence of GLP-1 households, Wardlaw highlighted the importance of maximising curiosity at the shelf to mitigate the effects of this unprecedented assault on impulsive behaviour.
Lori Herman, insights leader at Mondelez, North America, acknowledged the impact of GLP-1 medications on the food and beverage.
She said, “You need to eat a lot of protein apparently when you are utilising this medication, and I feel like that’s going to benefit brands that are inherently protein rich. I think we will see the emergence of even more protein-rich snacks come into the market as a result.”
Herman added, “So, I do think it will impact the types of products we are seeing as it potentially becomes a little bit more mainstream.”
The event further covered the importance of new and novel experiences among consumers.
Pointing to recent research by MMR Research across key economic regions, Wardlaw urged manufacturers to escalate innovation that champions new flavours, new pack formats, extreme and unexpected sensory profiles, and product experiences that have the potential to go viral.
“We know that conversations about new and novel experiences are rising dramatically – up 23% in posts involving food and drink in the last 12 months, for example”, Wardlaw claimed.
Interactions with over 3000 consumers showed that people are interested in discovering new products and experiences to break the monotony of everyday life, adding daily glimmers – often FOMO fueled by platforms such as TikTok.
Wardlaw concluded: “Beyond industry yardsticks such as ‘liking’ and ‘overall appeal’ lies a complex network of emotional needs.
"We know that people are often drawn to brands and products because they make them feel adventurous, socially connected, discerning, and so on.
"These motivations have little to do with ‘liking’ and everything to do with identity and aspiration. Increasing our efforts on building superior emotional outcomes will help manufacturers mitigate the risks that GLP-1.
“We think brands can still market irresistible products, but via a different kind of reward system.”
Gander has announced its nomination for The Earthshot Prize 2025, an accolade that celebrates groundbreaking solutions to the world's most pressing environmental challenges.
Nominated by BVRio, this marks Gander's third opportunity to contend for the prestigious prize, reaffirming its role as a global leader in waste reduction and sustainability.
The Earthshot Prize, spearheaded by Sir David Attenborough, Prince William, and The Royal Foundation, is built around five ambitious goals, or "Earthshots":
Protect and Restore Nature
Clean Our Air
Revive Our Oceans
Build a Waste-Free World
Fix Our Climate
Gander's nomination aligns closely with the goal of "Building a Waste-Free World." Through its pioneering SaaS technology platform, Gander enables retailers to market and sell items nearing their expiration date, reducing in-store food waste and promoting a circular economy.
Ricardo Salazar, CEO of Gander Brazil, highlighted the urgency of Gander's mission, “The urgency of transforming our efforts to reduce food waste is clear. Gander’s technology enables retailers to reach more consumers, ensuring perfectly good food is sold and consumed rather than wasted.
"This benefits everyone - retailers maintain their margins, consumers access affordable food, and the resources used in food production are preserved.”
Since its launch, Gander has saved an impressive 38.9 million food items from waste. Operating in the UK, Ireland, Australia and Brazil, the platform has become a global force for sustainability, leveraging local data feeds to connect consumers with reduced-price food in real time.
Gander’s nomination underscores its ambition to expand beyond food waste, tackling broader issues of global consumer waste by 2030.
Salazar adds, “Gander’s journey is about creating sustainable solutions that are both commercially viable and environmentally impactful. By addressing food and consumer waste, we’re helping to shape a better future for generations to come."
The Earthshot Prize represents more than recognition for Gander; it is an opportunity to amplify its mission and inspire other innovators worldwide.
As Gander continues to grow and evolve, it remains a beacon of hope and progress, proving that technology and collaboration can drive meaningful change.
Diageo believes the no- and low-alcohol category is a “big opportunity for the industry” and for the company, its CEO has said.
Speaking at a press briefing for Diageo’s financial results for the first half of fiscal 2025 at its London headquarters, CEO Debra Crew voiced her optimism for the no-and-low segment and noted that the group’s non-alcoholic portfolio is up by approximately 56 per cent.
The firm’s alcohol-free portfolio includes Seedlip, Ritual Zero Proof and non-alcoholic alternatives for its Gordon’s, Tanqueray and Captain Morgan brands.
Crew believes the zebra striping trend “keeps people” within the group’s alcohol-free brands.
“People want this kind of sophisticated experience, they want to feel like when they’re out, that you know you’re still out, but you know you’re also wanting to moderate and so you can switch back and forth,” she explained. “And so that’s a big trend for us, and we are absolutely looking at that.”
In September 2024, Diageo fully purchased Ritual Zero Proof after initially taking a minority stake in the US-based brand in 2020.
Founded in Chicago, Illinois, Ritual Zero Proof offers alternatives to whiskey, Tequila, gin, rum and apéritifs.
Regarding the non-alcoholic category, Crew said Diageo is the “leader in spirits” with Ritual Zero Proof being the “number one non-alcoholic spirit brand in the US”.
“We’re very excited about it,” Crew told members of the press. “It’s done incredibly, had quite a run, and we’re very excited about what more we can do there.”
Diageo saw its organic sales rise by 1 per cent in the six months to December 2024 with growth led by its Tequila portfolio (up 20 per cent), which represented 13 per cent of net sales by category.
Referring to wider industry trends, Crew affirmed that whisky is “still very much in trend” despite a double-digit drop for the group’s Scotch malts portfolio (down 20 per cent), while its blended Scotch brand Johnnie Walker fell by 6 per cent. However, Johnnie Walker Blonde is seeing growth in emerging markets, Crew highlighted.
With Scotch, Crew was quick to point out that it faces competition from other domestic whiskies around the world, but she noted that the group wants to make sure it “really defends Scotch”, particularly in the face of potential tariffs.
Speaking about “what is off-trend”, Crew stated that rum “is a big quieter right now” while vodka is “getting hit” by convenient formats like ready-to-drink products.
The group’s rum portfolio dropped by 8 per cent with Captain Morgan also down by 8 per cent.
Vodka also struggled to grow its sales, with the segment falling by 9 per cent. Ketel One was flat, but category leader Smirnoff managed to post a sales increase of 3 per cent.
Cîroc vodka suffered the biggest organic sales decrease of all key brands in Diageo’s portfolio, plummeting by 32 per cent.
Over the past six months, the group has offloaded two Venezuelan rum brands, Pampero and Cacique, alongside flavoured liqueur brand Safari.
When asked about the group’s portfolio management, Diageo chief financial officer Nik Jhangiani said they were “still assessing” in terms of the categories and brands that they would consider selling.
He added that the company would also “look selectively at acquisitions” in terms of “how do we actually look at that play and are we right with the brand that we have, or is there a gap, based on that classic point around price laddering”.
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Mondelez International headquarters in Chicago, US
Cadbury and Oreo maker Mondelēz International has on Wednesday announced its fourth quarter and full-year 2024 financial results, highlighting robust revenue growth, strong earnings, and significant shareholder returns despite ongoing economic challenges.
The company, however, said it expects a 10 per cent hit on its profits this year over increased cocoa prices.
Key financial highlights for the full year 2024 include:
Net revenues increased 1.2 per cent for the full year 2024, driven by 4.3 per cent organic net revenue growth and contributions from the acquisition of Evirth, offset by currency-related items and the 2023 divestiture of the developed market gum business.
Gross profit rose by $493 million (£393m), with a 90-basis-point margin increase to 39.1 per cent due to higher pricing and productivity gains, offset by rising raw material and transportation costs.
Operating income increased $843m, with an operating income margin of 17.4 per cent (up 210 basis points), benefiting from lower integration costs and favourable hedging activities.
Diluted EPS was $3.42, reflecting a 5.5 per cent decrease due to lapping prior-year gains and costs associated with the ERP Systems Implementation program.
Adjusted EPS grew 13.0 per cent on a constant currency basis to $3.36, driven by strong operating performance, share repurchases, and lower taxes.
Shareholder returns amounted to $4.7 billion through dividends and share repurchases.
“Fiscal 2024 was another strong year of performance for our company. We delivered balanced top-line growth, strong earnings, and robust free cash flow generation, while returning significant capital back to shareholders," said Dirk Van de Put, chair and chief executive of Mondelēz International.
Mondelēz saw notable improvements in the fourth quarter despite rising costs. Net revenues increased 3.1 per cent, with 5.2 per cent organic net revenue growth offset by currency impacts.
Gross profit rose $241m in the quarter, with a 130-basis-point increase in gross profit margin to 38.6 per cent, and operating income climbed $418 million, raising the operating income margin to 16.8 per cent (up 400 basis points).
Looking ahead, Mondelēz said it faces challenges from record-high cocoa prices but remains committed to its long-term strategy. The company expects organic net revenue growth of approximately 5 per cent and adjusted EPS to decline by approximately 10 per cent on a constant currency basis due to cocoa inflation.
“As we transition into 2025, we remain focused on executing against our long-term growth strategy and delivering on our chocolate business playbook to navigate unprecedented cocoa cost inflation,” Van de Put said.
“Our teams are well-equipped to stay agile and take the necessary actions to navigate this challenging operating environment. We believe we are solidly positioned for attractive long-term top- and bottom-line growth.”
Cocoa prices soared 161 percent last year, reaching $10,100 per tonne in mid-December before easing to $9,165 at the end of 2024.
Last month Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli said it would raise prices again in 2025 after strong sales last year showed that increases had not cut the appetite of consumers.
The group had already hiked prices by “mid-single” digits last year to offset the rising costs of cocoa.