Comment & opinion – Page 559
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Comment & Opinion
"Like some mad scientist in a remote castle in a Gothic fantasy novel, the FSA has created a monster"
This week, The Grocer calls on Ofcom to abandon its use of the Nutrient Profiling Model with immediate effect. Using a standard 100g unit to measure each food or drink product, this model was developed by the Food Standards Agency to help the...
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Comment & Opinion
The clock must start at the ticket barrier, not the desk
I used to know a man who left his home near Farnborough in Surrey at about 6am every morning so he could avoid a traffic jam on the M25 on his way to his work, somewhere near Watford. He'd then stay at his desk until 8pm to avoid the return...
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Comment & Opinion
Facts speak volumes in the industry quest for low salt
There's a lot of nonsense written about the salt content of food. All too often facts are ignored in the quest for scaremongering headlines. In reality the manufacturing industry has a fantastic story to tell about salt reduction so Salt...
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Comment & Opinion
Sticking to your resolution: now there's a real challenge
Belatedly, I wish you a happy New Year. I hope your resolutions are still in place and Santa was good to you. I certainly put in a good word for you because I went up to see him. Or at least hang about in his neighbourhood. In the week...
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Comment & Opinion
Grocery industry must do more to promote local food
It is time for an honest debate about the culture of food in Britain because it matters in so many ways. It matters to our health, our rural communities, our environment and our economy. Therefore, any change in our attitudes towards it has...
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Comment & Opinion
Don't panic over the interest hikes
In the middle of a Christmas trading reporting season that was unfailingly upbeat, the Bank of England decided that interest rates needed to go up, for the third time in six months. Looking ahead at the industry's prospects, will this increase...
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Comment & Opinion
Listen hard and plan well for successful negotiation
One of the most common statements made to me is 'you can't learn to be a negotiator - some people are good and some are bad'. I agree some people prefer negotiating more than others. But I disagree that you can't learn to enjoy it and achieve...
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Comment & Opinion
Bogof's week
Local sourcing finally moved into the political spectrum last week with David Cameron calling on Brits to become 'food patriots' and for the British Army to be fed on food produced in the UK. An army marches on its stomach, so presumably DC...
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Comment & Opinion
UK industry should step up GM opposition in US style
While the majority of Europe's governments have been voting against proposals for new GM crop varieties to be imported or grown and used for food in Europe, the greater voting power Britain has over smaller countries in the EU means the UK's...
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Comment & Opinion
At last! Quality comes to the fore
It looks as though the grocers have enjoyed a strong Christmas trading period. Availability in the stores seemed strong and there were some very impressive new ranges particularly in fresh foods. There was a marked change in the focus of the...
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Comment & Opinion
Sober realities in the wake of the booze-fuelled frenzy
Christmas parties can be very revealing affairs. Year-long trysts between adoring colleagues are often carelessly exposed and dangerous liaisons cruelly laid bare in what can only be described as a booze-fuelled frenzy of unbridled passion. And...
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Comment & Opinion
Self-awareness is critical for saying no in the workplace
Picture the scenario - it's 5.20pm on a Friday and mentally you are halfway across the car park, gearing up for a great weekend. Suddenly your boss rings. He's run out of time on a key project and needs you to stay late this evening - and...
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Comment & Opinion
Put these shares in your stockings
As the festive season approaches, the newspapers seem to be full of doom and gloom regarding consumer confidence. I've even heard it may be the worst retail Christmas for 25 years. These worries are completely overdone, especially where...
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Comment & Opinion
We're all gonna get reconnected
Cricketing jokes were in the air at Lord’s last week when ministers Miliband, Flint and Dandha launched the Government’s plans for 2007-08 to be Year of Farming and Food in Schools (YFFS). Fronted by Sir Don Curry and the brainchild of the…
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Comment & Opinion
Personal coach Graham Botwright why trading on personal relationships isn't good business sense
The word 'partnership' is often bandied around as the holy grail of negotiation. But while it is always appropriate to create a true partnership with your buyer or supplier, some partnerships are more about one side trying to make the...
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Comment & Opinion
"The deal is an exciting prospect - but Robert Schofield ain't going to have it all his own way"
If it goes ahead, Premier's acquisition of RHM is an exciting prospect. It brings together many of Britain's best-known food brands, and with his old alma mater, United Biscuits, reportedly still in his sights, you can expect lots of headlines...
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Comment & Opinion
Hot drives Small family cars
Volkswagen Golf. As far as small family cars go, the Golf is an outstanding all-rounder, above par in every area. It has the image and class that buyers in this class look for, plus a practical, comfortable cabin and plenty of...
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Comment & Opinion
We need tougher penalties to deter serial shop thieves
Ten years ago the BRC launched an ongoing campaign to persuade the Home Office and the police to treat shoplifting as a serious crime, with real victims. Have we succeeded? The evidence is ambiguous. Within the Home Office, perceptions of...
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Comment & Opinion
Letter of the week
We were pleased to see your coverage about the Waste Resources Action Programme's Courtauld Commitment ('Another lash for Labour's favourite whipping boy', 18 November). We believe that the industry should see the environmental...
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Comment & Opinion
TV makers: where is their morality?
Ofcom's ban on junk food advertising during children's TV broadcasting has prompted a predictable chorus of whingeing. Advertisers hate it - well no surprise there - but I did raise an eyebrow at the outcry from programme makers bemoaning the...