The story of inflation continued in 2023. Shortages, issues in the supply chain, Brexit and conflicts around the world combined to put pressure on our prices, leaving many in a dire situation.

Meanwhile, the world of vaping got itself into hot water when a series of compliance breaches were uncovered. Regulators insisted they would begin a crackdown on marketing towards children and underage teens.

In Scotland, the deposit return scheme existed in purgatory for a long time. It was finally given the boot this year when politicians just couldn’t make it work.

It wasn’t the only u-turn or broken promise. Brexit border checks got booted into the long grass once again.

Ultra-processed foods became one of the year’s buzzphrases.

But that didn’t mean we wanted to see the demise of Lilt.

Other soft drinks came under fire when artificial sweetener aspartame was classified as “possibly carcinogenic” by the WHO.

More sinking ships followed: funding for plant-based alternatives, Wilko, Meatless Farm and VBites.

Here’s to a less stressful 2024.

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