FELIXSTOWE PORT WORKERS STRIKE CAUSING POSSIBLE FOOD IMPORT DISRUPTION

Posted on August 24, 2022August 24, 2022 by Sarah Collison

The UK’s Food and Drink industry have warned there could be possible trade disruptions due to the strike taking place this week at The Port of Felixstowe.

“Many vessels had to be re-routed”, said Sian Oliver-Gay of the Provision Trade Federation, speaking ahead of the strike, which started on Sunday and saw around 2,000 port workers down tools in a dispute over wages.

“Vessels or trade that are re-routed have the potential to create pressures elsewhere, as well as there needing to be a period of time for the logistics chain to revert to normal and be in the right places when the disputes are resolved,” Oliver-Gay warned.

The Grocer reported that The Port of Felixstowe handles several hundred million pounds’ worth of foods imported each year, such as dairy, meat, nuts and rice and has long been a key landing point for goods shipped across the North Sea from Rotterdam, Europe’s biggest port. In turn, Rotterdam receives goods sent to Europe from the rest of the world, with shipments broken down before being sent on to destinations such as the UK. The UK imports almost half the food consumed in the country and more than half of fresh produce.

According to official data collated by the Food & Drink Federation, the Netherlands, a major supplier of pork, cheese and vegetables, last year was the biggest country source of Britain’s imported food.

“Supplies of gammon and hams will be caught up so you could see shortages on the shelves,” said a spokeswoman for the British Meat Processors Association.

The British International Freight Association said “any disruption” at Felixstowe would “cause problems for the operations of BIFA members, as well as disruption for the international supply chains that they manage”.

Justifying the latest in a series of strikes hitting Britain in recent months, including another by rail workers over the weekend, the Felixstowe workers said a 7% pay rise offer was not enough as it did not track inflation, which last month topped 10% and could, according to the Bank of England, hit 13% later in the year.

In a statement, the port, part of the Hutchison Ports empire spanning 52 ports in 26 countries, said it “regrets the impact this action will have on UK supply chains”.

THE ICE CO. LAUNCHES BAGGED ICE IN RECYCLABLE PAPER PACKAGING

Posted on August 24, 2022 by Lucy Barrow

Europe’s leading ice manufacturer and supplier, The Ice Co ., is breaking boundaries in the frozen category, having developed a more sustainable alternative to widely used plastic bags. The Ice Co’s Super Cubes & Spring Water Ice Cubes’ bags are certified as ‘100% recyclable as paper’, believed to be a UK first in the frozen aisle.

The business recognised how consumers are becoming more focused on sustainability, and how much this can impact their decision making. This insight led the product development, with the resulting ice cube bags being fully recyclable, along with paper – a truly ground-breaking innovation in the frozen category. The Ice Co. is confident that the NPD is something that will resonate with shoppers looking for greener product and packaging alternatives.

Polly Metcalfe, Managing Director at The Ice Co., commented:

“We are really excited to be bringing The Ice Co. recyclable paper bags to market. This innovation means that as a business we can have a lesser impact on the planet. On average around 80% of paper is recycled in the UK, compared to just 40% of plastic, so being first to debut and test this is really important to us. I believe we’re pioneers of this in the frozen category. Hopefully a lot of brands will follow suit and we can lead the way to a more sustainable future.

“We urge retailers who want to trial this to contact us, too. Not only does the plastic-free packaging have benefits for the consumer, but for retailers, it’s a superb social and corporate responsibility initiative, and a clear way to work towards the Global Climate Change Agreement.”

The Ice Co. has now completed Stage One of its wider sustainability drive, which saw the business switch to 100% green and renewable energy. Stage Two’s goal to ‘reduce, remove, and eliminate’, has already begun and recently saw the manufacturer reducing its plastic packaging by 30%, which in-turn sparked the innovation for the new paper packaging.

The limited-edition packaging will launch with The Ice Co.’s Spring Water Ice Cubes at the Co-op Glastonbury Festival store.

Any retailer or event interested in partnering with The Ice Co. for its paper-format can contact the team at info@theiceco.co.uk. For more information on The Ice Co., please visit the website: www.theiceco.co.uk.

GOODFELLA’S INTRODUCES DELICIOUS NEW ITALIAN-INSPIRED READY MEALS

Posted on August 23, 2022 by susie.hung@birdseye.co.uk

Introducing, a brand-new range to the Goodfella’s family, eight mouth-watering frozen ready meals, launching exclusively in Iceland from the end of August.

Each meal has been inspired by the rich and comforting flavours of Italy, ensuring the best authentic ingredients are picked to deliver flavoursome meals that are made with Goodfella’s trademark respect. All recipes hit the Goodfella’s high standards of quality to ensure the generous portions are nutritionally balanced and low in salt, whilst bursting with flavour.

The new Goodfella’s ready meals are perfect for those busy weekdays as each meal has been crafted with ease and convenience in mind, and can be oven-cooked in 30-35 minutes or microwaved in just 10 minutes.

The eight Italian inspired recipes include:

Beef lasagne: the rich lasagne uses the finest Italian fresh egg pasta, as well as authentic Grana Padano and pecorino cheese
Creamy carbonara with chorizo: made from sizzling Chorizo and three delicious cheeses, including cheddar, mozzarella and regatta cheese
Fiery Veg Arrabbiata: briming with a range of colourful veggies from sun dried tomatoes to roasted courgette
Fully loaded mac & cheese: loaded with succulent pepperoni and topped with golden brown breadcrumbs and cheese
Meat feast pasta bake: the meat feast bake is made with top quality bacon, pepperoni, and meatballs which ooze smoky flavours
Mushroom and garlic risotto: using a range of delicious mushrooms, including whole Oyster, Nameko, Shiitake and Dice Porcini
Spinach and ricotta cannelloni: complete with the finest Italian ingredients, including fresh egg pasta
Supreme mac & cheese: made with a generous serving of pasta, sprinkled with golden breadcrumbs and cheese

Alex Brown, Brand Manager at Goodfella’s, says: “We’re so excited to offer shoppers our brand new ready meals, we’ve gone back to our roots with a new range of Italian-inspired meals that bring generous and distinctive recipes to the shelves.

We’ve seen a huge demand in shoppers wanting high quality ready meals that are tasty but also brilliant value for money, the new Goodfella’s range will aim to offer excellent quality meals at a competitive price.”

The full Goodfella’s ready meal range packaging is fully recyclable and each meal is excellent value with an MRSP of £3.00 individually or 2 for £5.00. available in Iceland nationwide from the end of August.

ICELAND AND UTILITA HELP FAMILIES HEAT AND EAT, WITH COST OF LIVING SAVINGS OF UP TO £604 EVERY YEAR

Posted on August 23, 2022 by mel.matson@iceland.co.uk

Households reliant on oven cooking could save up to £604 per year by switching to a more energy efficient cooking methods, according to new research by energy supplier Utilita. Joining together with frozen food specialist Iceland, the pair are embarking on a first of its kind partnership, that aims to help those struggling with the rising cost of living, by offering practical solutions and advice on how to save money.

As the UK anticipates one of the most expensive winters in its history, Utilita and Iceland’s ‘Shop Smart, Cook Savvy’ collaboration will officially launch in early September to help families better understand the cost of cooking, and to help identify the most economical cooking methods available to them to make budgets stretch further.

As part of the joint campaign, both brands have committed to 11 pro-consumer, pro-planet pledges in total, which includes a massive overhaul of Iceland’s own-product packaging to reflect more energy efficient cooking appliances and methods, and a national ‘Cooking High 5’ consumer awareness tour, facilitated by Utilita outside Iceland stores.

The launch will also see the introduction of both brands selling the best value 4.5l air fryer on the market from Tower Housewares retailing at the discounted price of £35, enabling consumers to make their investment back in around 47 days of avoiding the oven. Air fryers will be sold at Iceland stores nationwide and online at www.iceland.co.uk, and at Utilita’s High Street Energy Hubs.

Changing Cooking Behaviour

The research presents the cost to cook, per minute for each of the main types of cooking appliance. It also explores a range of common cooking methods and offers recommendations on how to change their behaviour to save. Households spend approximately 43 minutes cooking each day and almost half (42%) admit to using the oven by default for the main part of their cooking needs. More than half of UK households admitted to not knowing which of their cooking appliances cost more to run (52%).

Utilita’s in-depth research presents a list of the main seven types of cooking appliances, starting with the most energy intensive – the electric cooker – and finishing up with the most economical to run – the microwave. In anticipation of the list becoming every household’s go-to cooking calculator, the research has been based on the energy consumption of 92 appliances across 24 sources, including academic research, legislation, and data collected from popular shopping websites.^[1]

The ‘Shop Smart, Cook Savvy’ research reveals how the cost of cooking can be cut by up to 60-90%^[2], enabling households to save hundreds of pounds each year. The research also highlights the wider environmental impact of households’ cooking behaviours, revealing that oven default households could avoid generating the same amount of carbon emissions generated by driving 1,164 miles in the average car.

The table below shows the cost of using each appliance for the average daily amount of time, and the amount of carbon generated by each appliance per year.^[3]

APPLIANCE	COST PER DAY TO RUN	COST PER WEEK TO RUN	COST PER MONTH TO RUN	COST PER YEAR TO RUN	CO₂e EMISSIONS (equivalent miles driven in avg car)
Electric cooker	87p	£6.09	£26.38	£316.54	609
Dual cooker (part electric, part gas)	72p	£5.08	£22	£264.03	609
Gas cooker	33p	£2.32	£10.07	£120.83	611
Slow cooker	16p	£1.15	£4.98	£59.76	115
Air fryer	14p	£1.01	£4.40	£52.74	102
Microwave	8p	58p	£2.50	£30.02	58

Bill Bullen, Utilita Founder and CEO, said: “For as long as we can remember, our kitchens have been designed around the oven being the main cooking method, which isn’t the case for many households today. Much more economical cooking appliances such as air fryers, slow cookers and microwaves have become increasingly more popular. However the cooking instructions on food packets haven’t reflected this.

“Utilita and Iceland are closely aligned in our mission to help households make their money go further. There are so many factors that neither Richard or I can control today, but the cost of cooking is mutual ground that we can help consumers with. This unique partnership will hopefully urge other supermarkets to do the same and help consumers choose the most economical cooking methods.”

Richard Walker, Iceland’s Managing Director, said: “The cost of living crisis continues to be the biggest national issue facing consumers and as a private, family-run business, we’re constantly looking at both short, and long term initiatives that can offer any support.

Our ‘Shop Smart, Cook Savvy’ collaboration with Utilita is so important, as it shines a light on the relationship between what we buy and how much energy we use cooking it, helping to empower our customers and provide them with access to information that can help stretch their budgets further.”

Archie Lasseter, Utilita’s Sustainability Lead, comments: “The rising cost of energy is going to create seismic shifts in consumer behaviour associated with energy consumption through a new awareness of the cost to consume. The impact will be far greater than any of the Government’s green initiatives ever could have achieved.

“Although cooking is said to account for four percent of the average energy bill, the savings speak for themselves.^[4] It’s vital that consumers are given the facts they need in order to use less energy in the interest of the pocket and the planet.

“As experts in energy behaviour change, we know that consumers need to know in pounds and pence what their actions will save them, and we know that every household budgets differently, hence the daily, weekly and monthly cost savings set out in this campaign.”

David Buttress, former CEO of Just Eat and New Cost of Living Business Tsar comments on the campaign:

“This is the type of consumer awareness campaign that will stick in our minds, because it’s enabling every household to rethink the way we cook, which hasn’t been done before. We are delighted to list both Utilita and Iceland as official Help for Household partners for their efforts in enabling and assisting consumers to make impactful savings that will make a big difference, whilst reducing carbon emissions. I am hopeful that other supermarkets will follow suit to help their consumers identify the cheapest way to cook.”

Shop Smart, Cook Savvy Workshops

As part of Utilita’s national education programme, Iceland customers and all households will be invited to attend thousands of free workshops on the 15 ways to cut energy bills by hundreds each year, including five ways to save up to £604 when cooking.

Cooking behaviour	Cost saving	Carbon saving (miles)
Use more energy efficient appliances	£287	553
Batch cook, when possible	£158	305
Use the right size pan with a lid	£72	139
Simmer rather than boil	£68	131
Don’t overfill the kettle	£19	36
Total	£604	1164

[1] A Review of The Energy Intensity of Cooking Appliances and Cooking Practices – Implications for The Cost of Cooking – Archie Lasseter for Utilita 16/08/2022

[2] Gas cooker versus air fryer is 61% saving / electric cooker vs a microwave is 90% saving

[3] Based on cookers being in use for 43 mins per day on average (Utilita and Iceland conducted a survey of 2,000 households across the UK from 26.05.2022 – 31.05.2022 via Onepoll), and all other listed appliances being used for 20 minutes.

[4] Energy Savings Trust – June-21 household energy bill/consumption split

EU GIVES UK MORE TIME TO RESPOND TO ENFORCEMENT ACTION ON NORTHERN IRELAND PROTOCOL

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Sarah Collison

The EU has given the UK an extra month to respond to legal action it launched after the publication of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill was introduced to parliament on 13 June.

The Guardian reported that at the UK’s request the EU has granted an extension for the deadline to respond to infringement proceedings issued on 15 June.

With a previous deadline of 15 August, the EU has now extended this into September.

The EU’s legal actions came after the UK government’s move to unilaterally modify the NI Protocol via the bill.

Three infringement cases

The Guardian notes that the UK is facing seven total infringement proceedings relating to the protocol.

As covered previously by the IOE&IT’s Daily Update, the June proceedings are related to:

A first set of legal proceedings related directly to the UK’s purported failure to comply with “significant parts” of the protocol
A second proceeding related to the grace periods the UK unilaterally extended last year to SPS goods moving into NI from GB
The third complaint was that a claim that the UK had failed to provide real-time access to UK data on trade movements required under the protocol

These are separate from other legal proceedings, launched on 22 July, regarding the UK’s alleged failure to carry out border checks on goods heading from Northern Ireland to Great Britain NI to GB, as well as its purported failure to implement EU rules on excise, duty and VAT on e-commerce.

NI Protocol Bill: next steps

The bill has cleared the House of Commons and currently sits in the House of Lords, with the government hoping to pass the bill by the end of this year.

The BBC reports that the bill faces a potential rough ride in the Lords once parliament returns from recess on 5 September.

‘Top priority’

As the Conservative Party leadership race continues into August, Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie MLA, which has historical ties to the UK Conservative Party, has said that dealing with the protocol should be one of the next prime minister’s top priorities, according to The Newsletter.

“As soon as the … leadership campaign is over, we need to see an end to the diplomatic ‘whataboutery’ over the NI Protocol between the EU and the UK government,” Beattie said.

FSA FLAGSHIP SURVEY REVEALS HOW WE ALL EAT TODAY

Posted on August 18, 2022November 7, 2025 by Sarah Collison

The FSA have recently published a report which measures self-reported knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to food safety and other food issues amongst adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland twice a year.

The latest survey was conducted between October 2021 and January 2022 and provides rich and high quality data on what people think, feel and do when it comes to food.

Emily Miles, Chief Executive at the FSA, said:

‘As well as giving us an important insight into the FSA’s core responsibility of food safety, Food and You 2 also provides us with a detailed snapshot of peoples’ perceptions and behaviours on food-related issues, including sustainability, food security, and their diets.

‘The FSA’s new strategy committed it to helping the governments we serve in Westminster, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure food is healthier and more sustainable, as well as being safe and what it says it is. This insight is part of the evidence we provide so that consumers’ perspectives on the food they eat are heard.’

The top three food-related concerns amongst consumers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are food waste, the amount of sugar in the food and animal welfare.

Key findings

Confidence in food safety, authenticity and the food supply chain

Most respondents (92%) reported that they were confident that the food they buy is safe to eat and more than 8 in 10 (86%) respondents were confident that the information on food labels is accurate
Around three quarters of respondents (76%) reported that they had confidence in the food supply chain
Respondents were more likely to report confidence in farmers (88%) and shops and supermarkets (85%) than in takeaways (61%), and food delivery services (45%)

Concerns about food

Most respondents (86%) had no concerns about the food they eat
When prompted, the most common concerns amongst all respondents were food waste (63%), the amount of sugar in food (59%) and animal welfare (56%)

Food security

Across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, 82% of respondents were classified as food secure (70% high, 12% marginal) and 18% of respondents were classified as food insecure (10% low, 7% very low)

Eating out and takeaways

Around half of respondents had eaten food in a restaurant (53%), from a café, coffee shop or sandwich shop (either to eat in or to take out) (52%) or ordered a takeaway directly from a takeaway shop or restaurant (50%) in the previous 4 weeks
Over a third of respondents had eaten food from a fast-food outlet (either to eat in or take out) (38%) or ordered a takeaway from an online food delivery company (for example, Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber Eats) (35%) in the previous 4 weeks
Most respondents (89%) had heard of the FHRS and around 4 in 10 (41%) respondents reported checking the food hygiene rating of a business in the previous 12 months

Food allergies, intolerances and other hypersensitivities

Just over 1 in 10 (12%) respondents reported that they had a food intolerance, 4% reported having a food allergy, and 1% reported having coeliac disease
Of the respondents who reported having a food allergy, the most common foods reported as causing a reaction were peanuts (26%) and fruit (24%)
Of the respondents who reported having a food intolerance, the most common foods reported as causing a reaction were cow’s milk and products made with cow’s milk (41%) and cereals containing gluten (19%)

Eating at home

Over two thirds (69%) of respondents identified the use-by date as the information which shows that food is no longer safe to eat
Around two-thirds (67%) of respondents reported that they always check use-by dates before they cook or prepare food
Over half of respondents (56%) reported that they never wash raw chicken, whilst 40% of respondents wash raw chicken at least occasionally

Food shopping: sustainability and environmental impact

Half (50%) of respondents thought that eating less processed food and 47% thought that minimising food waste contributed most to someone having a sustainable diet
Most (59%) respondents thought that buying locally produced food or food that is in season contributed most to someone making sustainable food shopping choices

Sustainable diets, meat alternatives and genetic technologies

The most common changes respondents reported making in the previous 12 months were eating less processed food (40%) and starting to minimise food waste (40%)
Around a third (32%) of respondents reported that they currently eat meat alternatives, 21% of respondents reported that they used to eat meat alternatives but no longer do and 39% of respondents reported that they had never eaten meat alternatives
Respondents reported greater awareness and knowledge of genetically modified (GM) food (9% had never heard of GM food) than gene-edited or genome-edited food (GE) (42% had never heard of GE food)

Awareness, trust and confidence in the FSA

Around three quarters (77%) of respondents who had at least some knowledge of the FSA reported that they trusted the FSA to make sure ‘food is safe and what it says it is’

The full Wave 4 report is available here.

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