It’s been a busy week on The Grocer, dominated by our Health Week coverage, which permeates all the sections of the publication – news, opinion, features, even the Grocer 33 price comparison survey basket – and our website, of course.
You’ll find exclusive research spelling out concerns over use of nitrites in processed and cured meats and the impressive results of Asda’s healthy eating ‘nudge’ trial. We’ve revealed the worsening outlook for lower-income families looking to eat healthily. And our comprehensive review of the latest GLP-1 usage findings also highlights how wealth and health go hand in hand, while also surfacing exclusive research from a number of industry and consumer surveys.
It’s also interesting to note that, while skinny jabs have resulted in a £780m fall in food bills in households using GLP-1s, sales of those skinny jabs are proving a useful foil, with Boots overtly highlighting their value but supermarkets also benefiting. How long this bonanza lasts is another matter: as we report the first weight-loss pills were granted UK regulatory approval this week.
Why are we not getting our 5 a day?
The importance of fruit & veg in healthy diets is also considered from multiple angles. Alarming new figures reveal that climate change could result in a 170% higher price for key crops by 2050 in a report that ominously suggests a “state strategy for reducing prices” is “needed to maintain affordability”.
We also examine the strange dichotomy by which 5 a day is the UK’s best-known public health slogan while consumers keep failing to follow through on the guidance. Scrapping the message risks adding more confusion to an already crowded nutrition landscape, but if it is no longer fit for purpose, what comes next?
On the legislation side, powerful arguments are made to stop the reformulation of the nutrient profiling model, and press ahead with mandatory reporting. And a fascinating report on Asda’s trial with Nesta shows how store layout and promotions changes have driven a double-digit increase in healthy food sales.
M&S is not the Only one on an anti-UPF mission
On the innovation side, we’ve also considered the significance of the M&S Only ingredients range on the ‘clean label’ movement, report on a sleep-inducing ice cream and a new toothpaste for sensitive teeth.
In a similar vein to the M&S Only range, Sainsbury’s new ‘Full on Fibre’ labelling is a good example of simplication and nudge theory. Talking of fibre you can also find a full-on fibremaxxing listicle outlining the recent spate of fibre-based launches.
Conversely we reveal that the EU reset is likely to put the kibosh on CBD product development in addition to lab-grown meat.
On the investment side it’s interesting to see healthy support for personalised nutrition brand Nourished to support the gummy vitamin brand’s export drive. Alcohol-free disruptor Impossibrew is also using AI to keep its social media-focused marketing costs down.
Of course, there’s lots of other newsworthy information in this week’s issue. We have also reported on the impact of the tweaks to the Lidl Plus loyalty app, the open letter supermarket CEOs have sent to No10 regarding the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEETS) and Tesco’s very generous 20% health discount for employees.
And with the World Cup kicking off the late match times (some as late as 2am) is a real challenge for retailers. The Co-op has extended online delivery times to up to one hour after the final whistle while Ocado has launched half-time delivery bundles.
But the sheer breadth of our health coverage this issue demonstrates not only The Grocer’s versaility and range; it shows how intertwined the fortunes of health and food now are. From whatever angle you look, concerns over health are having a material impact and occupying the industry’s finest minds.
A final example is our Big Interview with Barney Mauleverer at the Food & Drink Exporters Association. On the one hand it’s all about his heroic efforts to spearhead an export push across the industry; but it’s also predicated on his belief that UK innovation to find solutions to meet the nation’s health and wellbeing needs can be a platform for export growth.
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