It’s been another busy week on The Grocer!

The biggest bombshell was the confirmation that the DHSC plans to update the nutrient profiling model that is used to classify HFSS products. That will mean potentially hundreds of further brands will be restricted from advertising and promoting their products – including brands that have invested millions in reformulation. It’s going to cause an almighty row with the government and, as I argue in my leader this week, the distraction it will cause is a big shame because without question the new Defra team is on a mission.

Another hated piece of legislation is EPR – and not just due to the crippling bills suppliers are facing. A few weeks ago we revealed that PackUK had billed hundreds of producers multiple times. Now the bungling EPR administrator has been slated for sending out warning letters over potential fines for bills that aren’t even due.

It’s not just the government causing controversy, however. M&S has launched an investigation after a vigilante social media ‘food waste inspector’ documented wheelie bins full of in-date food behind one of its stores. A video posted this week on Instagram by Food_waste_inspector documents eight bins full of unsold food and flowers outside an M&S store, as well as sacks full of bakery items. Similarly the Co-op was slammed on social media by entrepreneur influencer Simon Squibb over its PoS vape promotion ads. To be fair its response was exemplary.

These are reminders of just how important and influential social media is for consumer-facing businesses these days. And this week our cover story looks at the increasing influence of TikTok for FMCG brands. As we explain the platform has “moved beyond being primarily an awareness tool” and It’s no longer a choice between brand building or driving sales – brands can now do both, enabled by the rise of TikTok shop. It’s therefore curious to see that while the leading brands have huge follower numbers, very few are on the ecommerce platform.

With Easter fast approaching our latest Focus On trends report asks what chocolate makers can do to avoid a repeat of last year’s flagging sales. That’s after months of cocoa price shocks and price hikes – not to mention, a 2.3% fall in category volumes over the last year. So, how can retailers hunt down a better outcome this Easter? And with Easter Sunday falling on 5 April – last year it was 20 April – how will earlier holiday affect sales?

It certainly doesn’t help that Cadbury and Mars Wrigley have shrunk their Easter eggs again to mitigate higher cocoa costs. And that’s not just impacting volumes: new research shows that so-called ‘shrinkflation’ is eroding trust one Easter egg at a time.

The other hot topic right now is all the new supermarket GLP-1 ranges. So what should a GLP-1 range look like and which is best? You can read our lowdown here. We also revealed that Ocado was forced to rename its ‘weight-management’ microsite amid concerns that this classification constitutes a health claim. And in this thought-provoking op-ed also pointed out that effectively supermarkets are flogging smaller meals for higher prices to tap the GLP-1 boom.

Anyway, there’s loads more stories brilliant stories in this week’s issue. And even more on thegrocer.co.uk. But those are some of my faves. And we would love to know your thoughts on our coverage. Or is there anything we’ve missed? We’re all ears! Get in touch via LinkedIn or adam.leyland@thegrocer.co.uk.

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