The Food Standards Agency (FSA), in collaboration with Food Standards Scotland (FSS), has been awarded £1.6 million in funding from the government’s Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund (EBSF) to launch an innovative sandbox programme for cell-cultivated products (CCPs).
The Europe’s first cultivated meat regulatory sandbox aims to improve the food safety regulators’ scientific knowledge about CCPs, which are new foods made without using traditional farming methods such as rearing livestock or growing plants and grains. Using science and technology, cells from plants or animals are grown in a controlled environment to make a food product.
The UK is one of the largest potential markets for CCPs in Europe but currently, there aren’t any approved for human consumption here.
The FSA said the two-year sandbox programme will allow it to recruit a new team to work across the FSA and FSS, enabling them to make well-informed and more timely science and evidence-based recommendations about product safety and address questions that must be answered before any CCPs can enter the market.
It will also allow the agencies to better guide companies on how to make products in a safe way and how to demonstrate this to them.
“Ensuring consumers can trust the safety of new foods is one of our most crucial responsibilities. The CCP sandbox programme will enable safe innovation and allow us to keep pace with new technologies being used by the food industry to ultimately provide consumers with a wider choice of safe foods,” Professor Robin May, FSA chief scientific advisor, said.
As part of the sandbox, FSA will also be able to offer pre-application support to CCP companies and address key questions, for example around labelling.
The FSA’s sandbox will be the first of its kind in Europe and follows South Korea’s decision to create a regulatory innovation zone to support the development of novel food regulations and the scale-up of cultivated meat production processes.
Nonprofit and think tank the Good Food Institute Europe has welcomed the news, which it says could help grow the UK’s cultivated meat sector and ensure consumers have confidence in the safety and nutritional quality of this food.
However, it stressed that while the sandbox is likely to improve the regulatory pathway for cultivated meat, it is not a solution to the long-term funding challenges facing the FSA’s regulated product service – responsible for authorising new food products – which ministers must address in the forthcoming multi-year spending review.
“This announcement sends a clear message that the new government wants to capitalise on the strong investments made in British cultivated meat research and innovation over recent years by bringing products to market in a way that upholds the UK’s gold standard safety regulations,” Linus Pardoe, UK policy manager at the Good Food Institute Europe, said.
“Cultivated meat could play a key role in boosting food security, driving growth and helping us hit our climate targets. The sandbox is a welcome measure, but to fully realise the potential of cultivated meat, ministers must also provide a long-term boost to the FSA’s budget, enabling regulators to complete robust risk assessments within statutory timeframes.”
How is cultivated meat regulated?
Cultivated meat – which aims to deliver the same chicken, pork and seafood that people enjoy today, but made in fermentors instead of by farming animals – must go through a thorough risk assessment and be authorised by ministers before being sold in British restaurants and supermarkets. It has been authorised for sale in countries including the US, but not in the UK, where the FSA is currently reviewing at least four applications.
UK company Meatly announced earlier this year that its cultivated chicken pet food had been cleared for sale under a separate process overseen by the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs.
The FSA has frequently stated that its regulated product system is underresourced, with authorisations of new food and animal feed taking an average of 2.5 years although the statutory aim is 17 months.
What is a regulatory sandbox?
Sandboxes are controlled environments usually running for limited periods that enable businesses, academics and regulators to collaborate on designing new rules, standards and guidance.
Similar schemes have been introduced by other UK regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority, enabling firms to ensure consumer protection safeguards are built into new products, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, helping companies safely develop medical devices.
The announcement of a regulatory sandbox follows the FSA’s recent confirmation that the UK government will enact initial reforms to the way a wide range of regulated products – including some alternative proteins – are brought to market.
The government has on Wednesday announced its acceptance of the Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) recommendations on the rates of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), including the National Living Wage (NLW).
The rates which will apply from 1 April 2025 are as follows:
NMW Rate
Increase (£)
Percentage increase
National Living Wage (21 and over)
£12.21
£0.77
6.7
18-20 Year Old Rate
£10.00
£1.40
16.3
16-17 Year Old Rate
£7.55
£1.15
18.0
Apprentice Rate
£7.55
£1.15
18.0
Accommodation Offset
£10.66
£0.67
6.7
The recommended NLW rate is expected to equal two-thirds of median earnings and to have the highest real value in the history of the UK’s minimum wage. The increase in the 18-20 Year Old Rate narrows the gap between that and the NLW, in anticipation of the adult rate being extended to 18 year olds in future years.
“The government have been clear about their ambitions for the National Minimum Wage and its importance in supporting workers’ living standards. At the same time, employers have had to deal with the adult rate rising over 20 per cent in two years, and the challenges that has created alongside other pressures to their cost base,” Baroness Philippa Stroud, chair of the LPC, said.
“It is our job to balance these considerations, ensuring the NLW provides a fair wage for the lowest-paid workers while taking account of economic factors. These rates secure a real-terms pay increase for the lowest-paid workers. Young workers will see substantial increases in their pay floor, making up some of the ground lost against the adult rate over time.”
Stroud admitted that the data show some signs of employers finding it harder to adapt to minimum wage increases.
“The tightening of the labour market since the pandemic has unwound, but the overall picture is similar to 2019. The economy is expected to grow over the next year, although productivity growth remains subdued,” she noted.
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:
Good work and fair wages are in the interest of British business as much as British workers. This government is changing people’s lives for the better because we know that investing in the workforce leads to better productivity, better resilience and ultimately a stronger economy primed for growth.
The recommended increase in the 16-17 Year Old Rate restores that rate to its original value relative to the adult minimum wage. In line with previous recommendations, the Apprentice Rate will remain equal to the 16-17 Year Old Rate.
SPAR UK has announced the appointment of Michael Fletcher as its new managing director.
Fletcher spent 22 years at Tesco plc, where he held numerous senior commercial roles in the UK, Ireland and Asia. He joined Co-op Retail in 2013 where he held the position of chief commercial officer before moving on to become CEO of Nisa Wholesale, a role he held until 2022.
Since leaving Nisa, Fletcher has taken on several non-executive director and board advisory roles. He is also the founder and chief executive of Sleet Brush Limited, where he focuses on designing and implementing innovative solutions to complex retail and wholesale challenges.
“Michael has outstanding credentials in commercial, retail and FMCG sectors, with experience across various trading environments,” Nick Bunker, non-executive chair, SPAR Food Distributors Ltd, said.
“His professional capabilities and high standards consistently drive excellent business performance and operational resilience. We are delighted with his appointment and look forward his lasting and positive contribution to the SPAR business.”
Fletcher added: “SPAR is a globally recognised and respected brand, and I am thrilled to join the team. I look forward to supporting the ongoing strengthening and development of the SPAR proposition in the UK.”
October saw shop prices fall marginally further into deflation for the third consecutive month with food inflation eased, particularly for meat, fish and tea along with chocolate and sweets as retailers treated customers to spooky season deals, shows industry data released today (29).
According to British Retail Consortium (BRC), shop price deflation was at 0.8 per cent in October, down from deflation of 0.6 per cent in the previous month. This is below the 3-month average rate of -0.6 per cent. Shop price annual growth was at its lowest rate since August 2021.
Food inflation slowed to 1.9 per cent in October, down from 2.3% in September. This is above the 3-month average rate of 2.1 per cent . The annual rate continues to ease in this category and inflation remained at its lowest rate since November 2021.
Fresh Food inflation decelerated in October, to 1.0 per cent , down from 1.5 per cent in September. This is below the 3-month average rate of 1.2 per cent . Inflation was its lowest since October 2021.
Ambient Food inflation decelerated to 3.1 per cent in October, down from 3.3 per cent in September. This is below the 3-month average rate of 3.3 per cent and remained at its lowest since March 2022.
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the BRC, said, “October saw shop prices fall marginally further into deflation for the third consecutive month. Food inflation eased, particularly for meat, fish and tea as well as chocolate and sweets as retailers treated customers to spooky season deals. In non-food, discounting meant prices fell for electricals such as mobile phones, and DIY as retailers capitalised on the recent pick-up in the housing market.
“With fashion sales finally turning a corner this Autumn, prices edged up slightly for the first time since January as retailers started to unwind the heavy discounting seen over the past year.”
“Households will welcome the continued easing of price inflation, but this downward trajectory is vulnerable to ongoing geopolitical tensions, the impact of climate change on food supplies, and costs from planned and trailed Government regulation. Retail is already paying more than its fair share of taxes compared to other industries.
“The Chancellor using tomorrow’s Budget to introduce a Retail Rates Corrector, a 20 per cent downwards adjustment, to the business rates bills of all retail properties will allow retailers to continue to offer the best possible prices to customers while also opening shops, protecting jobs and unlocking investment.”
Mike Watkins, Head of Retailer and Business Insight, NielsenIQ, said, “Inflation in the food supply chain continues to ease and this helped slow the upward pressure of shop price inflation in October, however other cost pressures remain.
“Consumers remain uncertain about when and where to spend and with Christmas promotions now kicking in, competition for discretionary spend will intensify in both food and non-food retailing.”
Independent retailers are demanding tougher police action, more bobbies on the beat and harsher punishments as shoplifting levels reach an all-time high, a new survey reveals.
A whopping ninety-one per cent of respondents to a survey conducted by the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) called for more police patrols on streets, while a similar number - 90 per cent - said that shoplifters should be handed harsher sentences.
Seven out of 10 respondents (72 per cent) said their stores had experienced shoplifting, break ins and damage to property, while they and their staff had been physically or verbally threatened.
Just under half of respondents (47 per cent) said they and their employees had been threatened or had suffered abuse and violence when asking for proof of age ahead of selling an age-restricted product.
Forty-four per cent reported that they and their staff had faced abuse or violence because they had refused to make a proxy sale – selling an age restricted product to a customer buying for a minor.
The results of the Fed’s survey came as new figures from the Office of National Statistics revealed that shoplifting was at a record high, with almost half a million offences recorded last year.
According to the ONS, 469,788 offences were logged by forces in the year to June 2024 – a 29 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.
The ONS added that this figure was the highest since records began – in March 2003.
“Inadequate responses from the police and a slap on the wrist for offenders means that shoplifting is soaring, and offenders are becoming more aggressive and brazen,” said Fed National President Mo Razzaq.
“From the responses we received, it is clear that real action is needed by police, by courts and by the government to stem the overwhelming tide of crime against retailers and their staff. Everyone deserves to feel safe at work and for their businesses to be protected against criminals.
“Fed members are also sending a clear message that one of the catalysts for verbal and physical abuse in stores is asking for proof of age before selling an age restricted product. If the government presses ahead with its plans to phase out smoking and vaping through a progressive ban to gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the country, independent retailers will be subject to even greater levels of violence, abuse and theft.”
Calling for action from the government and not just words, Mr Razzaq continued: “Without effective deterrent, criminals and opportunistic members of the public will continue to commit crimes.”
According to Ministry of Justice statistics, during the year to March 2024, 431 fines were handed out for retail theft under £100, while Home Office statistics for the same period show that 2,252 cautions were accepted for shoplifting.
PayPoint has announced a new partnership with Leeds Credit Union (‘LCU’), a financial cooperative with 37,000 members, enabling them access to its CashOut service, effective immediately.
The partnership will mean that LCU customers can access their cash and savings across any of PayPoint’s UK network of 29,000 retailer partners. This represents an unprecedented growth in accessibility and the first partnership of its kind for LCU. Historically customers have needed to visit one of LCU’s four branches to withdraw money.
Leeds Credit Union provides straightforward, affordable financial services. As a mutual there are no shareholders, so it is owned by its members and always has the interests of the members at the heart of everything it does. The credit union prides itself on providing members with the most appropriate services based on their circumstances.
“Our partnership with Leeds Credit Union will enable its customers to access their funds more easily than ever before," said Jo Toolan, Managing Director of Payments at PayPoint. "We’re committed to pursuing these kinds of partnerships, which enable credit unions to offer a more competitive and technologically advanced service, while simultaneously making the lives of customers that little bit easier through enhanced access.”
Greg Potter, Head of Marketing & Member Experience at Leeds Credit Union, said: “Increasingly, we’re looking at ways that we can apply technological solutions and partnerships to add value to the experience of our members using Leeds Credit Union. This partnership is demonstrative of our determination to grow in their best interests and will make access to funds something that can be done at any of a number of PayPoint locations in the UK.”