UK must maintain momentum on cutting methane emissions, urges Lords Committee
A House of Lords committee has called on the UK Government to keep up the momentum on reducing methane emissions.
Environmental, Social & Governance
EUDR: What on earth is going on?
Over the last couple of months, conversations around EUDR changes have been making headlines. Here’s the latest…
Feature
Driving sustainability in food and drink manufacturing
Sustainability is the buzz word of the hour for manufacturers, but how is the food and drink industry adapting their practices to better serve the environment and where can they draw inspiration from to start lowering emissions across their supply chains?
Opinion
Greenwashing in the cold chain: Unpacking the ice pack problem
Ice packs are a simple, yet brilliant solution used the cold chain but there’s one major problem holding them back. Colin Rowland, managing director for cold chain solutions firm Hydropac, explores.
News
Wales withdraws from UK Deposit Return Scheme
The Welsh Government has announced that it is withdrawing from the planned UK-wide Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).
News
Meat and dairy methane emissions 'continue to go unchecked'
The Changing Markets Foundation has criticised the ‘inadequate’ efforts made by global meat and dairy corporations, and the countries they are based in, to reduce methane emissions.
News
Consumers share distrust in food companies
Consumers don’t trust food companies to make their products healthier, according to new polling data from YouGov, as Recipe for Change pens an open letter to government calling for a more ambitious plan for a healthier food industry.
News
Too Good To Go launches service to sell surplus food from manufacturers
The surplus food company has rolled out a new service for UK FMCG brands and manufacturers looking to reduce their food waste and maximise on recouped profits.
News
PepsiCo plastic pollution lawsuit dismissed
The New York State Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed against PepsiCo regarding plastic pollution in the Buffalo River.
People on the move
October food and drink appointments round-up
October has been chocked full of senior appointments in the food and drink manufacturing industry. We track the people on the move in the past month in this round-up of senior hires in the sector.
News
Government urged to put the brakes on ‘flawed’ EPR scheme
Members of the wine and spirits industry have urged the UK Government to put the brakes on the ‘flawed’ Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme set to launch in January
News
The biggest food and drink trends of 2024 so far
What are the top trends that have been guiding the food and drink sector during 2024? Food Manufacture takes a closer look.
Short read
How to win in sustainability
Although UK consumers want to make sustainable decisions when it comes to their food shop, consumers say it’s too difficult to identify a sustainable product.
News
Sustainability action needed now or there will be no industry by 2030
Food and drink firms need to collaborate and take action now to become more sustainable, or there won’t be an industry by 2030, members of industry were warned at the launch of the Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF’s) Ambition 2030 sustainability strategy.
News
Producer group to be created ahead of EPR rollout
The appointment of a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) to support with the rollout of new extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation has been confirmed by ministers.
News
Kids set to learn about the climate impact of food
Non-profit ProVeg UK has created a series of national curriculum adherent lessons aimed at educating primary school children about the environmental impact of the food they eat.
News
Apetito donates 20,000 meals to food redistribution charities
Apetito – a producer of meals for the healthcare, care homes, education and social care sectors – has donated 20,000 meals to food redistribution charities.
News
University of Surrey students ready for Ecotrophelia Europe final
A team of students from the University of Surrey will compete in the final of Ecotrophelia Europe on 21 October.
News
Organic outperforms conventional food market
Organic food and drink outperformed the conventional market in the past year, as the sector ‘bounced back’ from the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.
News
Glass excluded from DRS in England and NI
Glass is set to be excluded from the impending Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England and Northern Ireland.
News
Methane emissions from dairy farms higher than official figures suggest
A new study has found that the methane emissions from slurry stores on dairy farms may be up to five times greater than official statistics state.
News
Waitrose ‘first’ UK supermarket to launch cork recycling scheme
Waitrose has announced plans to trial a cork recycling scheme in seven of its stores.
News
Senior appointments at Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Beneo
Circular economy charity the Ellen McArthur Foundation and international ingredients manufacturer Beneo have both announced senior appointments this past week.
News
Food manufacturer that employed modern slavery victims supplied several UK retailers
Modern slavery victims were forced to work for a bread manufacturer which supplied products to major UK supermarkets.
Interview
Gene editing: BOFIN trial leading the way for precision-bred crops in the UK
Founder of the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN), Tom Allen-Stevens, shares the details of an ongoing trial focused on the production and processing of precision-bred crops.
News
Brian May quits RSPCA role over Assured scheme scandal
Sir Brian May has resigned from his role as a vice president of the RSPCA following a scandal surrounding the charity's farm certification scheme.
News
Asda sets up ESG-geared incentive for suppliers
The new Asda scheme will be tacked on to the supermarket’s existing Supply Chain Finance programme.
News
Study explores potential of carbon sequestration on agricultural land
Researchers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) have argued that carbon sequestration on farmland holds real potential for combatting climate change.
News
AHDB leads UK cover crop research project
A network on regional cover crop champions have been appointed across the UK to address complications associated with this farming technique and share lessons.
News
Heineken expands net zero programme with three new partners
Heineken has signed three additional partners for its global net zero production programme.
News
Brits call for Deposit Return Scheme for all materials
Almost three quarters of Brits want to see the new Labour government press ahead with a deposit return scheme (DRS) for all drinks containers.
News
Sainsbury’s to save 560 tonnes of plastic a year with new bakery packaging
Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has overhauled the packaging of its in-store bakery products as part of a wider bid to reduce plastic waste.
News
71% of UK FMCG businesses deprioritise CO2 reduction in fleets
In a survey of UK supply chain, transport and logistic decision makers conducted by Wincanton, many were found to be struggling under the weight of net zero pressure.
News
Decarbonisation in F&B: The critical role of future state planning
Lis Thodberg, sustainability director at NIRAS, discusses the importance of viewing decarbonisation as a strategic business move and draws on the firm’s new report to explain how food and beverage businesses can future state plan effectively.
News
UK insect-based dog food firm raises £1.1m
Dog food company Tuggs has secured a major funding injection from a range of institutional investors and angels.
News
Maize among crops ‘well adapted’ to climate change, researchers find
Scientists have discovered that certain crops such as maize can survive in dry conditions by controlling water loss.
News
How the Mars and Kellanova merger can support regenerative agriculture
Daniel Ryan, CEO at CIBO Technologies, discusses the potential impact of Mars’ high profile acquisition of Kellanova on the regenerative agriculture industry and supply chain emission targets.
News
All-female team aim to raise £75k to support female farming in Kenya
A team of women from the UK food and farming industry are set to cycle 75km across Kenya to raise funds and awareness for international charity Farm Africa.
Legal Brief
Be prepared for tougher packaging laws
With UK food safety and labelling requirements facing greater stringency and deviation from EU legislation, businesses must stay ahead of the curve to ensure compliance and consumer trust. Melissa Haskell, partner in the regulatory & licensing teams at...
News
Whole plant foods healthiest, while all plant-based foods produce fewer GHG emissions than meat, study finds
A new study by The Food Foundation has shown the clear environmental and health benefits of eating whole plant foods such as grains and beans.
News
Verallia launches lightweight glass spirit bottles
The new product range, Ecova, encompasses four designs each weighing in at 500g - Patet, Caeli, Vita and Terra.
News
Dutch Lidl equalising cost of plant-based substitutes with animal products
Lidl has announced plans to permanently reduce the price of plant-based meat and dairy substitutes sold in the Netherlands.
News
McDonald’s backed beef programme sees €4.4m investment
Dawn Meats and McDonalds are collaborating on a new sustainability initiative which will provide incentives to participating beef farmers in Ireland.
News
Clean energy tech for food industry gets boost from Government funding
The ‘world’s first’ biofuel cell (BFC) capable of generating clean energy at an industrial scale could be available to food and drink manufacturers within the next two years, thanks to additional funding from Innovate UK.
News
What's up for grabs at the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards 2025?
Whether you're a start-up or an industry leader, the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards invite food and drink processors to showcase their capabilities and celebrate the efforts and achievements of their companies and teams. Here, we summarise each of...
News
Gene-edited crops a ‘step closer’ in the UK
Precision-bred cereal crops will soon be planted on commercial farms in the UK for the first time as part of new Government-based project.
News
Vertical farming could be ‘greener than first thought’
Vertically farming lettuce could be as good for the environment as growing the salad plant in fields while also saving 8,000 hectares of land across the UK, according to a new study.
News
Extended producer responsibility fee estimates released
The UK Government has published illustrative base fees ahead of the full rollout of new extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation.
News
Decarbonisation: F&B firms awarded share of £19m grant fund
The Scottish Government has issued grants to several food and drink manufacturers as part of a wider decarbonisation fund.
News
Pilot project aims to decarbonise Welsh beef
A new pilot project designed to decarbonise the Welsh beef industry has been launched by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).