Moving goalposts on ad regulations is not helpful
I read with concern Katharine Jenner’s opinion piece last week. Not for the first time, the Obesity Health Alliance misses the bigger picture.
Rules restricting advertising of food and drink classified as ‘less healthy’ were introduced in January this year, despite there being little evidence to support effectiveness and clear evidence they will undermine ad-funded media such as our world-class broadcasters, publishers and online services. Already, Oxford Economics suggested up to £600m of advertising has been lost to these media channels, and a further £400m could be affected by the new plans.
Jenner suggests the public believe children see too many ads for these products. But the evidence published by the ASA is clear that children now see very few – if any – restricted HFSS product ads.
I agree with the OHA that consistency is key. That is why moving the goalposts on these regulations mere months after they have been introduced and before the five-year review the government promised is a deeply flawed approach.
We all want to create a healthier generation, but to do so will require government working with industry, not against it. It is disappointing the OHA continues to push for more and more intervention rather than focusing on partnership and using the power of advertising to drive healthy lifestyle campaigns, as proven by work such as Eat Them to Defeat Them.
Stephen Woodford, CEO, Advertising Association
India has plenty to offer
The Grocer’s piece on world cuisine (17 October, p59) rightly highlights the increased bravery of UK shoppers in the world foods aisle. As the writer points out, Middle Eastern and west African foods are rapidly capturing the public imagination.
At the same time, I’d urge buyers not to overlook the ongoing growth potential of established cuisines like Indian and Chinese. We’ve by no means fully realised their potential.
In the case of Indian food, brands such as Gymkhana and Dishoom are introducing the UK audience to new dishes and local specialities. Those efforts are also helping to create a more premium feel around Indian cuisine. Foodies are exploring all the different flavours and formats India has to offer.
There is also plenty of opportunity for expansion into new categories. Indian food has carved out a strong presence in chilled ready meals, but we see plenty of potential to grow in other areas of the supermarket. For example, we recently launched a frozen range as part of our bid to make Indian food a staple in the freezers. Meanwhile, our filled naans are helping to establish the cuisine as a popular food-to-go option.
So, yes, keep an eye out for new cuisines and trends. But don’t overlook the established favourites. India has so much more to offer.
Thomas Cropper, founder, Tuk In Foods
Equipment hacking fears
What’s happened in France is a stark reminder refrigeration is not just a technical consideration for retailers, but is fundamental to keeping food safe, protecting sales and ensuring stores can continue to trade.
When refrigeration fails, retailers can face food waste, lost sales, empty shelves and financial losses. If multiple stores are affected at once, the impact can quickly escalate across an entire retail estate.
While a cyberattack presents different challenges to conventional equipment failure, both highlight the need to understand where a business is vulnerable and have a clear plan for recovery. Retailers need to look beyond the day-to-day performance of their refrigeration to consider how they would respond to disruption and what support they could call on to get back up and running. cybersecurity requires specialist expertise, but understanding the infrastructure that keeps food safe is an important part of wider operational resilience.
There is no one-size-fits-all refrigeration solution across an estate. Different store formats and operating requirements present different challenges.
Resilience needs to be part of the conversation around refrigeration investment, rather than something considered only after a failure.
Gary Smith, technical manager, Pastorfrigor GB
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