WE'RE PLEASED TO BRING YOU JUST SOME OF THE MAJOR FOOD & DRINK RETAIL AND SUPPLY STORIES RECENTLY COVERED BY THE GROCER.
‘No progress’ by major supermarkets on methane emission threat
Not a single supermarket out of 20 assessed publicly reported their methane emissions or set a target to reduce them. Read more>>
Waitrose launches nitrite-free ham as demand soars
The range includes British Roast Ham and British Honey Roast Ham, which will join existing nitrite-free smoked and unsmoked bacon lines. Read more>>
Food and drink spending falls in real terms across UK
The Share of Stomach Index is a new quarterly report from The Grocer based on Spendmapper analysis of card transactions from 180,000 consumers. Read more>>
Food ‘forgotten again’ in government energy relief scheme
The government expanded its British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) to include 10,000 manufacturers but excluded the agricultural sector. Read more>>
Calls for phased realignment with EU rules rejected by government
A government response to Efra Committee calls for a phased transition to EU rules was ignored. Read more>>
Nestlé partners with Soil Capital to scale regenerative agriculture
The four-year partnership will support farmers with agronomic expertise, digital tools to measure impacts, and financial incentives linked to verified environmental outcomes. Read more>>
Red meat prices continue to soar as consumer demand falters
Figures from AHDB show beef spend increased by 8.8% in the 12 weeks to 22 March, driven by average price increases of 16.4%, which resulted in volume declines of 6.5%. Read more>>
More than half of fisheries catches set outside scientific advice
Concerns have been raised over the ‘disappointing’ data from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science about the effectiveness of UK fisheries management. Read more>>
‘Serious concerns’ raised about factory farming as ammonia hotspots revealed
Compassion in World Farming and Sustain’s Ammonia Map revealed areas of the country experiencing the highest emissions corresponded to those with the greatest concentration of large-scale intensive farms. Read more>>
Farmers facing ‘very challenging year ahead’, Ornua boss warns
CEO Conor Galvin told The Grocer farmers were concerned about 2026 due to soaring cost pressures and uncertainty in the market. Read more>>
Huge volumes of ‘unsafe’ food seized at UK border, new figures show
A total of 208 tonnes of food products deemed unfit for human consumption has been intercepted by officials since November 2024. Read more>>
M&S invests £2.1bn in British beef and lamb with decade long contracts
The 10-year supplier contracts with ABP and Dunbia will give British suppliers “the surety of supply and confidence to invest against a challenging backdrop and increased competition”. Read more>>
Bird flu housing orders lifted in England and Wales
It means poultry and other captive birds will no longer need to be housed and can now be kept outside, unless keepers are in a protection zone or captive bird monitoring (controlled) zone. Read more>>
‘Cost of farming squeeze’ flagged as Iran conflict pushes up costs
Farming consultancy releases new data showing so-called agflation is up 7.6% annually, more than double that of the national inflation rate of 3% and food inflation at 3.2%. Read more>>
Glyphosate use in UK farming up 1,000% since 1990
Analysis of government data revealed the amount of glyphosate being applied to UK crops has risen from 200 metric tonnes in 1990 to more than 2,200 metric tonnes in 2024. Read more>>
Challenge over precision-bred GMO plants regulation heads to High Court
Environmental advocacy group Beyond GM and others have brought a judicial review against the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025. Read more>>
Poultry industry calls for government action as consumers face price increases
The British Poultry Council warned that the ongoing conflict had triggered supply disruptions that could push up prices. Read more>>
FDF revises food inflation forecast to over 9% by end of 2026
The FDF has predicted food inflation will reach over 9% by the end of 2026, after revising its forecasts. Read more>>
New Farming & Food Partnership Board pledges to drive growth in British farming
It follows the inaugural meeting of the Farming & Food Partnership Board. Read more>>
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