Heinz, McDonalds and Tesco are among the first food and drink companies to sign up to a voluntary ban on six food colours associated with hyperactivity in young children, according to a new list published today by the Food Standards Agency. The FSA hopes the publication of the list of companies who have taken steps to remove the six colours will encourage more to reformulate their products. The voluntary ban was agreed to by ministers late last year. Asda, Tesco, Iceland and Marks & Spencer have all removed all six colours from their whole own-label range, while Heinz has removed the colourings from its Heinz, Weight Watchers, HP and Lee & Perrins lines.
Vimto, Green Bay and Worldfoods are also among manufacturers participating in the ban. McDonald's is also complying with the ban. The voluntary ban followed publication of a 2007 report from Southampton University, which identified a possible connection between the six colourings (sunset yellow FCF (E110), quinoline yellow (E104), carmoisine (E122), allura red (E129), tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124)) and hyperactivity.
The supermarket price wars failed to keep a lid on inflation this month as prices rose 1.7% on last month. The Grocer Price Index, our inflation-tracking index of grocery staples weighted to typical consumer shops, indicated annual food price inflation was holding steady at 15.1%, defying expectations of falling prices. It has risen despite concerted efforts from retailers to keep prices low through heavy promotional activity and pushing of budget and own-label lines. Nevertheless, analysts insisted the price war was genuine and was beginning to impact on margins. “The first signs of real margin impact came with the Christmas trading updates,” said one.
Wrigley, the confectionery maker that merged last year with Mars, has become the latest company to extend the amount of time it takes to pay its suppliers. In a letter leaked to the Financial Times, the US company says it will extend its payment terms from 30 to 60 days.
Danone has abandoned its brief foray into the cosmetics business less than two years after it released a skin-enhancing yoghurt, acknowledging that consumers were no longer prepared to spend money on non-essential products. Danone said it would withdraw the yoghurt, named “Essensis”, from France in March because sales were suffering due to the global economic crisis, and it would focus on its core brands rather than experiment with new products. “Our focus will be on our blockbuster products,” Danone said.
Pinneys, the supplier of salmon to Her Majesty The Queen, is one of several businesses that have been put up for sale by Uniq. Uniq, The London-listed food group which employs some 6,500 people in the UK and Europe, supplies food to Marks & Spencer and other supermarkets, has hired corporate finance firm Stamford Partners to sell off operations as part of a strategic review of the business.
Growing numbers of Britons are proving that a smart approach to food shopping is needed in order to battle against the recession. Information from TNS Worldpanel shows that more and more consumers are buying frozen foods - the retail frozen food market is now worth £4.8bn, with the market showing a 5.8% year on year growth.
Eurobuns has become known as Lantmännen Unibake UK Ltd. Everything else will remain the same, with the same workforce producing the full range of frozen breads from the same modern premises in Milton Keynes. Nor will there be any changes to the recipes or specifications of any of the company’s products, which include the best-selling Americana burger buns and hot dog rolls, and the pre-sliced Express Baguette
