Hitting the headlines…

Food & Drink stories in the news that raised our eyebrows this month…

Food safety a key priority for new government, food expert says

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has urged Government to prioritise food safety. Chris Elliott, Professor of Food Safety and Microbiology at Queen’s University Belfast and founder of the Institute for Global Food Security, told CTSI that there is an urgent need for Government to implement a strong food security policy and appoint a dedicated Food Minister.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has more here.

New advertising rules for alcohol alternatives

The Advertising Standards Authority and Committee of Advertising Practice have announced that the new Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing Code (CAP Code) and Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP Code) rules on alcohol alternative product advertising have come into force.

Read more from the Advertising Standards Authority here.

FSA fines food business £50,000 for faked disease certificates.

A food business owner has been fined £50,000 following a successful prosecution by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). An investigation by the FSA’s National Food Crime Unit found evidence the poultry farmer had falsified salmonella testing certificates.

Read more from the Food Standards Agency here.

FSA research into allergies leads the way for best practice for food businesses

The FSA has recently funded a study which used data from the NHS to monitor trends in food allergy epidemiology. The study attempted to better understand how common food allergies and anaphylaxis are, as well as the circumstances surrounding their occurrence. The FSA is currently creating best practice guidance for food businesses in the non-prepacked sector such as restaurants and cafes on how to provide allergen information to consumers.

The FSA’s report on the study is accessible here.

Watershed junk food advertising ban announced for 2025

A ban on junk food adverts being shown on TV before 21:00 will come into force on 1 October 2025, Government has confirmed. The BBC has reported that the watershed on junk food advertising will be enforced alongside a total ban on paid-for online adverts, both aimed at tackling childhood obesity.

Read more from the BBC here.

And finally… “Robocrop”: Version of raspberry-picking robot to soon be in use in the UK, Australia and Portugal 

The Guardian reported that a new version of the world’s first raspberry-picking robot, a four-armed machine powered by artificial intelligence and able to do the job at the speed and effectiveness of a human, is to be employed on farms in the UK, Australia and Portugal over the coming 12 months.

Read more in the Guardian here.