news analysis
Problem plastics and pacts
Wrap has extended its list of the problematic plastics companies must eliminate but the charity is in a pickle if its new pact fails to… Read More
THE FRIDAY DIGEST: A landmark day for DRS
“A transformational step forward in the circular economy in the UK.” So boldly proclaimed the body newly appointed to run deposit return schemes (DRS) for… Read More
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Out of home news
Citizen views to feature in food strategy
Members of the public will have their say on the contents of England’s new food strategy as part of the government’s programme of engagement. Defra… Read More
Food crime unit gets beefed up powers
The unit responsible for policing food crime in England and Wales has been granted long-awaited new powers of investigation in a boost to its operational… Read More
Seafood buyers must act on bycatch
Campaigners are calling on food businesses to strengthen policies to eliminate bycatch in UK seafood supply chains after research revealed the severe threat posed to… Read More
drinks news
Climate change to shift wine production northwards
Climate change is redrawing the map for production of fine wines with northern European countries like Denmark and the UK set to benefit at the… Read More
Organic wine – consumer concerns over chemicals driving sales
Consumers are increasingly seeking out wines produced with limited amounts of chemical inputs, according to new market research. Producers are also turning to organic systems… Read More
grocery news
Commitment on caged chickens traps Iceland
Supermarket Iceland has been dubbed “the UK’s worst supermarket for caging hens” as it faces failure in a commitment to go cage-free before the end… Read More
Popular snacks are stacked with sugar and salt
Campaigners have urged suppliers of crisps, nuts and popcorn to improve the nutritional profile of their products after research found the vast majority would fail… Read More
Waitrose farmers to measure biodiversity in real time
Waitrose is rolling out new technology that will allow it to gather real-time data on the environmental health of its farms. The supermarket chain has… Read More
latest footprint intelligence reports
Footprint Intelligence white paper: Deliver commercial advantage through sustainable water management in association with Waterscan
Reliable access to water is a critical risk factor for hospitality and foodservice businesses. As global temperatures continue to rise and extreme weather events become more commonplace, access… Read More
Data, decarbonisation and diet: how foodservice can benefit as a net-zero leader, in association with Foodsteps
This is billed as the decisive decade for action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C we must… Read More
Water stewardship and regeneration in the drinks industry; where next? in association with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
From soft drinks to beer, water is a vital resource that powers the drinks industry. Water is already high up the sustainability agenda for businesses… Read More
Empowering choice: how and why to market higher welfare in hospitality and foodservice, in association with RSPCA Assured
Ask most hospitality and foodservice insiders what marketing they’re doing around animal welfare and most likely you’ll have a tumbleweed moment. The reality is too… Read More
The 3.2 Billion Cup Challenge: making the most of the mandatory take back scheme in foodservice settings, in association with Valpak and Reconomy.
It was in March 2016 that celebrity chef-turned campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall travelled through London in his ‘coffee cup battle bus’ to raise awareness of the 2.5… Read More
Unlocking the community benefits of regenerative agriculture from field to fork, in association with Nestlé Professional
In 2023, Footprint published the report Is regenerative the future of farming? in partnership with Nestlé Professional UK&I, in which we explored the growing interest in regenerative agriculture.… Read More
award winners’ case studies
waste2zero Awards: Elior case study
FOODPRINT REPORTING ASSISTANT Executive Summary: Elior UK developed the Foodprint Reporting Assistant (FRA), an innovative inhouse solution designed to reduce food waste across its operations.… Read More
Footprint Drinks Sustainability Awards: CMBC Case study
Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company’s (CMBC) has a range of sustainability initiatives aiming to reduce the environmental impact across key areas of its value chain: farming,… Read More
Ellers Farm Distillery – Drinks Sustainability Awards
Ellers Farm Distillery was championed as the winner of the Economic Sustainability Award. This award celebrates organisations in the foodservice industry for their sustainability and… Read More
latest footprint podcasts
Sustainability Bites in association with Nestlé Professional. Episode 5: Scope 3: Measuring Industry Progress in association with Nestlé Professional
In this episode of Sustainability Bites we do a deep-dive into industry progress on all matters Scope 3. Scope 3 remains one of the sector’s… Read More
Sustainability Bites in association with Nestlé Professional. Episode 4: The future of talent in hospitality & foodservice
As part of Nestlé Professional’s ‘Choose Hospitality Pledge’ we’re delighted to release the latest in the series of Sustainability Bites podcasts – Hospitality & Foodservice:… Read More
Sustainability Bites in association with Nestlé Professional. Episode 3 – Packaging: materials and substitution
Sustainability Bites, in association with Nestlé Professional, is a podcast which unpicks the key sustainability issues affecting the hospitality and foodservice sector. In this episode… Read More
Sustainability Bites in association with Nestlé Professional – Episode 2: Packaging & Waste
Sustainability Bites, in association with Nestle Professional, is a podcast which unpicks the key sustainability issues affecting the hospitality and foodservice sector. This episode focuses… Read More
Sustainability Bites in association with Nestlé Professional – Episode 1: Cost of Living Crisis: Foodservice & Hospitality
Sustainability Bites is a series of podcasts featuring panel discussions between industry experts that focus on some of the key sustainability issues and topics that… Read More
Footprint40 – Professor Chris Elliott OBE
For our latest episode we were delighted to be joined by Professor Chris Elliott OBE, founder of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s… Read More
comment, opinion & analysis
COMMENT: No stopping on net-zero
A little digging can go a long way to effective carbon reduction, but don’t get too bogged down in the data. By David Burrows Last… Read More
COMMENT: The masks will come off as ESG evolves
The bursting of the ESG bubble is actually a good thing for sustainability. Here’s why, according to Julia Vol.Over the past decade, ESG became synonymous… Read More
Report, react and reduce
Data can help foodservice companies keep pace with reporting rules and deliver their 2030 reduction targets. By David Burrows. More than a decade-and-a-half has passed… Read More
Educating Britain one label at a time
Eco-labels are bringing transparency to the climate and nature impact of our meal choices but more data is needed to understand the effect they have… Read More
Consistency as standard – the drive to define scope 3
Moves aimed at harmonising how food and drink businesses account for value chain emissions have the potential to unlock a range of benefits. By Nick… Read More
What does forced labour clampdown mean for food?
Under a new EU law, businesses can be forced to withdraw any product linked to worker exploitation in the supply chain. But will its bark… Read More
Green claims: are we heading for a fine mess?
Fines for greenwashing could rise to eye-watering amounts under new powers for the CMA, so corporates making claims must be cautious. By David Burrows. “It’s… Read More
Can UK cultivate a market for lab meat?
Free from the EU’s complex approvals process, regulators have an opportunity to unlock the commercial and social benefits from cultivated products. But there are challenges… Read More
waste
Bitter battle ahead in final plastics treaty talks
Negotiations on a global deal to end plastic pollution continue to sidestep the production of plastics. David Burrows reports. “How did you go bankrupt?” Bill… Read More
Briefing: Wrap’s ‘next generation’ packaging pact
Can a new industry agreement to tackle plastic prevent another five years of poor performance? By David Burrows. Wrap’s future plastic pact plans. The environmental charity… Read More
health & vitality
Health & Nutrition Elite Honoured
Health and nutrition returned to the limelight today as the awards were presented for the 2023 Health & Vitality Honours. After a pandemic induced hiatus… Read More
The 2023 Health & Vitality Roll of Honours is announced
The initiatives demonstrated in 2023’s Health & Vitality Honours programme have highlighted that health, nutrition and wellbeing in the industry is back on the agenda… Read More
Poorest priced out of healthy food
A new report has called for urgent change in the UK’s food policies to reverse a growing crisis of affordability and accessibility. Nick Hughes reports.… Read More
political print
POLITICAL PRINT: Reeves’s war on red tape risks coming unstuck
The chancellor’s determination to remove the burden of regulation is not what responsible businesses or the public say they want, says Nick Hughes. “Today we… Read More
POLITICAL PRINT: Producers pay the price for broken system
Defra’s decision to suddenly shut its sustainable farming scheme exposes a number of hard truths about fixing our broken food system. By David Burrows. On… Read More
footprint event reports
Tread carefully along the thin green line
New rules relating to making green claims are confusing, which is bad news for food companies and good news for lawyers. David Burrows reports. “Green,… Read More
Footprint Forum report: Getting into the weeds of ‘regen ag’
Speakers at a recent Footprint Forum were excited about the potential to transform farming through regenerative practices but challenges remain around financing and the risk… Read More
Responsible Business Recovery Forum Report: Operational delivery & supply chain responsibility
Operational delivery and supply chain responsibility – 9th July 2020 Speakers: David Read, chairman, Prestige Purchasing Julian Hunt, VP public affairs and communications, Coca-Cola European… Read More
Footprint video
Events photo galleries
Gallery: The 2024 waste2zero Awards
The 2024 waste2zero awards that recognise excellence in Waste Management and Prevention in the out of home food and drink sector, were presented at an exclusive… Read More
Gallery: The 2024 Drinks Sustainability Awards
Leaders from across the drinks industry were at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in London’s Portland Place as businesses came together to recognise… Read More
Gallery: Footprint Awards 2024
Presentation of the 2024 awards took place at the annual Footprint Awards dinner, held at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on Thursday 13th… Read More
interviews with foodservice and grocery sector professionals
Interview: Plant push needs reality check
Alternative proteins have potential, but they aren’t a free pass to sustainable consumption, according to Aramark head of ESG, Gina Camfield. By David Burrows. “When… Read More
Solving the culture and data challenge
Creating a sustainability-focussed culture and getting credible data to reduce menu impacts are two urgent challenges for HaFS businesses. Amy Fetzer chews over potential solutions… Read More
INTERVIEW: A new dawn for foodservice finance?
Compass Group’s sustainability lead Amy Keister tells Nick Hughes how the caterer will use proceeds from the sector’s first sustainable bonds to turbocharge its net-zero… Read More
innovation marketplace
Beer wastage costing UK hospitality sector £200m a year
UK’s hospitality industry is losing an estimated £212 million annually due to beer wastage, according to research by draft beer quality services company Avani Solutions,… Read More
Leading The Way: apetito On Track to Achieve Ambitious Carbon Reduction Targets
apetito, the leading provider of meals to the Healthcare, Care Homes, Education and Social Care sectors, is reaffirming its position as one of the UK’s… Read More
Sodexo reveals net zero supply chain engagement has helped reduce supply chain GHG emissions by 32%
Sodexo UK & Ireland’s latest net zero progress report reveals the positive impact of its award-winning net zero supply chain engagement strategy with a 31.8% reduction in… Read More