Owen Paterson

  • Stretching the limits of sustainability

    FOOD BUSINESSES must be careful not to see target-setting as a competition.                           One of the most difficult tasks facing sustainability managers is how to set targets. “The…

  • FOOTPRINT AWARDS 2013 Special Achievement Nominations Announced

    FROM A Secretary of State to Jimmy Doherty of Jimmy’s Farm, the incredibly diverse shortlist of nominees for the Special Achievement Award in the 2013 Footprint Awards, has been announced today.                  …

  • Steering farmers through the storm

    NATIONAL FARMERS UNION leader Peter Kendall has seen members endure a miserable 10 months but concerns over food security, prices and sourcing in the wake of the horse meat scandal could offer new opportunities, he tells David Burrows.    …

  • EU vote threatens progress on green farming

    ENVIRONMENTALISTS ACCUSE MEP’S of watering down eco-friendly plans for Common Agricultural Policy.                           Much has been done to improve the environmental performance of agriculture, but a recent vote in…

  • Footprint Forum Report: Holding out for a hero

    IN EUROPE, genetically modified crops have remained in labs while the rest of the world plants more and more. Does the technology need a champion?  It seemed apt that the Footprint Forum to discuss the sensitive issue of genetically modified (GM) crops took…

  • A rotten year for public-sector food

    HORSE MEAT in school meals, pork in prisoners’ halal pies and a damning verdict on hospital catering have meant a troubled start to 2013 for catering companies.                          …

  • Sodexo reacts to horsemeat secrecy claims

    SODEXO HAS reacted to claims that it is failing to publicly disclose information relating to the contamination of frozen beef products in its supply chain.   Speaking in the House of Commons last week, shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh stated…

  • Horse meat testing expanded

    TESTING FOR horse meat will be extended to include stock cubes, stewing steak and gelatine. In all, 514 products will be tested, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced. The full results will be published.   The sampling for the…

  • FSA raids meat plant

    THE FOOD Standards Agency (FSA) and police have shut down two meat premises, one in West Yorkshire and the other in West Wales.   The plants were raided as part of the ongoing investigation into the mislabelling of meat products.…

  • Caterers criticised in horse meat scandal

    LABOUR HAS criticised the reaction of caterers and the hospitality sector to the horse meat scandal.   While the retailers have reacted with “speed” following the discoveries of horse and pork meat in beef products, shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh…