It’s been another busy week on The Grocer.

Clearly the biggest story out there is the US-Iran war, and while we all want to keep calm and carry on, the repercussions are starting to be felt.

The first casualty of this war is the impact on inflation. And in particular fuel prices, whether that’s for motorists or logistics fleets. We’ve mined the newly available data to determine how much pump prices have increased since the start of the war, identifying a BP forecourt as the source of the UK’s most expensive petrol and diesel prices, and our data visualisation also identifies some huge variances. It’s the subject of my leader too, in which I argue that, as the Competition & Markets Authority launches an investigation, the Chancellor needs to put more trust in the Fuel Finder scheme to do its job.

But of course the soaring cost of energy doesn’t end there. Growers are already threatening to end production early or turn off their boilers, which would lower yields. Together with logistics issues and weather challenges experienced this year, it’s another reminder of how fragile food security is in the UK.

Lindt & Sprüngl has also cut growth expectations amid the Middle East upheaval. And it also dashed hopes of chocolate prices coming down (owing to the massive fall in cocoa commodities) for the same reason. On a more positive note, Lindt claims that chocolate sales are rising faster among GLP-1 users. That’s surprising as new YouGov research has found that snacks have been harder hit than any other category.

It’s Food Waste Action Week and in one of our big features this week we’ve investigated the slow progress supermarkets are making on meeting their Sustainability 12.3 household waste commitments. We also report on how AI forecasting tools are contributing to food waste.

Our cover story this week is a major investigation into the claims of honey fraud that have rocked the industry in recent years. It’s a category riven with infighting, and as we discovered, highly complex. So, what’s the truth? Is honey the pure, natural product we all think it is? And do consumers care? Read here to find out.

After last week’s coverage of retailer product recalls, we’ve also investigated the increase in product recalls from a category perspective, which feels more relevant than ever in the wake of this year’s babymilk recall.

With high street fast food chains pulling out of the Better Chicken Commitment, we’ve also examined the position of supermarkets and why, with the exception of M&S and Waitrose, the rest are reluctant to sign up to the BCC.

Talking of health, there’s a fantastic interview this week with Holland & Barrett group CEO Anthony Houghton on his epic turnaround, and the major investments it’s made to take advantage of new trends, transforming it from a fusty retailer selling packs of functional-looking vitamins to a high-street wellness destination.

On the supplier side, we interviewed the CEO of BrewDog’s new US owner Tilray Brands Irwin Simon. He defended the cut-price deal, insisting the £33m it paid was “ultimately only a great bargain if we can make it work”.

He’s got a point because beer & lager sales are falling – with one notable exception: take-home sales of posh own-label lagers are booming, as shoppers lap up the growing quality credentials of retailer lines. This isn’t simply a case of own label being cheaper (it is in fact more expensive than branded in this case), but instead a result of growing focus by retailers on their own-label beer offerings, which in many cases has been neglected in the past. As ever, M&S is leading the way, with premium own-label lagers brewed with partner breweries overseas that highlight regional differences in style.

Finally, another piece of surprising finding this week was the reveal that functional soft drink sales outperformed low & no alcohol products in the peak Dry January trading period. This shows how the moderation trend is evolving as consumers opt for a wider array of beverages when eschewing alcohol.

Of course there’s loads more brilliant stories in this week’s magazine. 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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