New data released by the Food Foundation reports that 8.8 per cent of households (4.7 million adults) have experienced food insecurity in the past month. This has increased from 7.3 per cent six month ago (July 2021). 3.6 per cent (1 million adults) reported that they or someone in their household has had to go a whole day without eating in the past month because they couldn’t afford or access food (up from 2.6 per cent in July). The Foundation claimed this was evidence soaring energy and food prices, along with the removal of the £20 uplift to Universal Credit, were having a devastating impact on millions of people across the UK.
It found 62 per cent of UK households had experienced higher energy bills and 16 per cent were forced to cut back on the quality or quantity of food to afford other essentials (e.g. energy bills). Meanwhile 59 per cent of households are worried that increased energy prices will mean they have less money to afford enough food for themselves/their family.
The British Retail Consortium also warned prices will continue to rise – and at a faster rate – than last year.
Children’s food insecurity
The Food Foundation also identified a significant rise in the number of households with children experiencing food insecurity in the past month, at 12.1 per cent, up from 11.0 per cent last July. This represents a total of 2 million children who live in households that do not have access to a healthy and affordable diet which puts them at high risk of suffering from diet related diseases, poor child growth and shorter lives.
Parents are also more worried about feeding their children school lunches now than they were 18 months ago, with 4.9 per cent of parents of children aged 8 to 16 in the household who are NOT registered for Free School Meals worried their children will have to go without lunch some days because they cannot afford school meals/packed lunches – compared with just 1.1 per cent in August 2020.
Levelling-up
The Food Foundation are calling on Government to make tackling food insecurity central to the levelling up agenda.
“The Levelling Up white paper commits to boosting productivity, pay and job security but does not commit to reducing food insecurity rates,” said Anna Taylor, Executive Director of The Food Foundation. “Food insecurity is a vital measure if we are to monitor severe material deprivation. It contributes not only to health inequalities and life expectancy, but also social wellbeing. If the Government wants to really get to grips with the issue, a comprehensive approach to levelling-up must tackle food insecurity head on.”
The Food Foundation said there is little doubt that the cost-of-living crisis is putting is “very real” pressure on the ability of many to afford a healthy diet and is set to widen health inequalities further unless the Government acts now.
At-risk groups
The data also shows worrying trends and identifies groups who are most at risk of food poverty as food prices rise. People limited a lot by disabilities are 5 times more at risk than people not limited by disabilities (31.1 per cent vs 6.4 per cent).
“The rapid escalation in Disabled people experiencing food poverty is truly shocking,” said Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK. “It is the disabled people facing the biggest barriers to independence and inclusion that are in the worst situation, how can this possibly be acceptable? With rising energy bills, increasing inflation and benefits pegged at a horrendously low level, millions of Disabled people are living in conditions comparable to the nineteenth-century workhouse.”
Another major concern highlighted by the latest data is that people who are currently on Universal Credit are five times more likely to have been food insecure in the past six months than those not on Universal credit. The Foundation concluded that this demonstrated that it is vital that Government moves to ensure that benefits are linked to the cost of a healthy diet and extends schemes such as Healthy Start and Free School Meals so they benefit all children in food insecure households.
Police and trading standards are demanding tough conditions be placed on a corner shop if it is to regain an alcohol licence.
Ahead of a licensing hearing next week the owners of Krakow Grocery, Parkhills Road, Fishpool, Bury have submitted evidence in support of an application to sell booze from 9am-11pm, seven days a week.
Statements from the council licensing team, trading standards and the police all oppose the granting of a licence in its current form.
Trading standards offciers allege that during a recent visit they saw ‘dual pricing’ for vapes depending on whether customer paid by cash or card. The report also alleges officers saw a bottle of vodka being sold despite no alcohol licence being in place.
Earlier this year the licence for the shop expired when a previous company holding it was made insolvent. Evidence has been published by Bury Council ahead of the hearing on November 25 which includes objections.
The report gives details of an enforcement visit on September 20. It said: “On entering the premises, I witnessed a male member of staff selling a bottle of vodka to a customer.
“Alcohol was on display in all the fridges and behind the counter. “We reiterated advice that no alcohol could be sold from the premises until the new licence had been granted.”
During another visit on September 26 alcohol was covered and not for sale but there were other issues which led to the seizure of 147 illegal vapes. The trading standards objection, states: “There were pricing signs on the shelves in front of the vapes and the prices of the vapes depended on whether you were purchasing for cash or on a card.
“When I explained, you couldn’t legally do this I was told well ‘we pay for our vapes in cash, so we really want to be paid in cash’.
“I asked to see a receipt for the vapes purchased, but none could be found.”
All three objectors have requested additional conditions if the booze licence is granted. They include documented training records, various condition on CCTV and a Challenge 25 policy.
Documents have been lodged in support of the application by the applicant. The supporting information included pledges on not selling alcohol without the designated premises supervisor being present, no supply of alcohol to anyone without valid ID, constant CCTV recording and alcohol liquor bottles to be located behind the counter.
Karen McQuade, the recently elected president of the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), has called for its members to engage in the debate about raising the standard temperature for frozen food.
Addressing the Federation’s annual lunch earlier this week, McQuade said that there is a compelling environmental case for raising the standard – which has been set at -18 degrees since the frozen food industry was born 100 years ago.
McQuade said, “Our freezers have been set to -18 for a century, is now the time to consider turning the temperature up? We can reduce emissions and save energy by moving to a higher temperature, but it’s not a simple switch.
“Raising the temperature for frozen food storage to -15 could reduce energy consumption and cut global emissions by 17.7 million metric tonnes annually, the equivalent of removing 3.8 million cars from the road.”
The BFFF has been involved with research into the question of increasing the standard temperature since 2009, and earlier this year it joined the international coalition ‘The Move to -15°C’.
Back in August, Morrisons became the first UK supermarket to depart from the long-held industry standard on freezer temperatures as part of moves to cut energy costs and reduce carbon emissions. In a 10-store trial, the retailer increased the temperature of its freezers to -15°C from -18°C. The test stores were spread across the country, from Scotland to the south of England, to see how the concept works in areas with different weather patterns and supply routes.
McQuade stated that it’s now time for the industry to engage in a frank discussion about whether the current standard is still fit for purpose and what potential changes could be made to improve sustainability.
“The first step is to fill in the gaps in scientific research supporting the temperature shift. Research is already underway. Earlier this year, Nomad Foods conducted an 18 month study which found no significant changes in food quality or safety within the categories tested at -15”, she said. “However more research is needed to understand the impact on delicate food categories.
“I hope more than anything that next year I can stand here with news that we have moved closer to a safe and stable new standard temperature globally.”
Two-thirds of consumers are concerned about climate change, but only 15 per cent are prepared to pay extra for environmentally friendly food and drink, according to a survey carried out by Euromonitor International, highlighting how that consumers continue to make choices that positively impact the environment but are adopting an affordability mindset.
Eco Logical is one of Euromonitor’s five Global Consumer Trends for 2025 and comes as the debate on climate change hots up after recent major weather events around the world. The survey found that more than 63 per cent of consumers have tried to adopt habits that are positive for the environment in 2024 due to worries about climate change.
“Spending on sustainable products remains a conscious decision based on personal values, but consumers also pay close attention to the key benefits these products deliver. Sustainability claims require tangible evidence,” said Inga Klebanskaja, senior research consultant at Euromonitor International.
“The Eco Logical trend challenges businesses to create the right claims on the right products for the right audience. Sustainability is no longer brand-enhancing but a prerequisite for innovation that drives growth.”
Klebanskaja added, “Trust in green labels hasn’t wavered over the years, but affordability continues to be the top barrier. Some 40 per cent of consumers said high price prevented them from making sustainable purchases. In 2024, 52 per cent of consumers considered eco-friendly labels trustworthy. Only 15 per cent would pay more for these food and drink products.”
Euromonitor found that the number of online Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) with sustainability claims increased from 4 million in 2022 to 5 million in 2024 across 11 FMCG industries and 25 countries.
Klebanskaja concluded, “Brands with a tangible sustainable proposition saw a 1.5 per cent higher growth rate over the same period compared to non-sustainable equivalents.
“Beauty and personal care brands’ enhanced offers in this space have generated more than US$120bn in 2023, the highest industry by sales. Pet care products with sustainability claims recorded the strongest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2020 to 2023.”
Klebanskaja concluded: “Businesses need to use sustainability claims to show the value of their product and connect those features to qualities that drive consumers’ buying decisions – efficacy, quality or safety. They should build sustainability into products or services that are familiar to their target audience for easier adoption.”
Two business owners have been slapped with fines after being found selling vapes to children at shops in Liverpool. Sanctions have been handed down to two men who appeared before Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Zahur Chaudhary, of Challoner Grove, was hit with a £250 fine after he was found to have sold a watermelon flavoured Elf Bar vape pen to a person under 18 at AF Newsagents on July 11. Chaudhary was also hit with costs of £250 and a £120 victim surcharge by magistrates.
The case was brought as the local authority continues its crackdown on illegal sales of vapes and illicit smoking products. The court also imposed a financial penalty on Farman Jolla for his role in prohibited sales.
Jolla, 36, of Beaumont Street, sold a cherry cola Elf Bar pen to an under-18 on the same date – July 11 – at Smithdown Sweets on Smithdown Road. The defendant was given a lesser fine of £150 with a victim surcharge of £60.
Similar costs of £250 were also applied. Court officials and the city council have taken a dim view towards illegal sales throughout the year.
A number of shops and licencees have been sanctioned during 2024, including one business where a teenage girl was able to access vapes and vodka leading to her requiring hospital treatment. When two teenagers entered Old Swan Express on Prescot Road last month, they were able to purchase two bottles of vodka without being challenged.
Owner Sinnathamby Arumugasamy lost his licence, despite only gaining permission to trade at the former angling store in February of this year. Claire Jones, from the council’s trading standards team, said she had conducted an undercover visit to the site and managed to purchase illegal cigarettes produced from beneath the counter for £5.
Ms Jones said it was “impossible” to sell them so cheaply if they had been legitimate. A Woolton convenience store shut down by the courts has had its licence revoked after engaging in “criminality.” Village News on Allerton Road was slapped with a three month closure order by Sefton Magistrates Court owing to “serious nuisance to members of the public.”
A total of 145 products were seized in October 2022 which had been stored in the shop, while in March this year, another 183 illicit vapes were also taken away. In June, the shop was informed it would be the subject of an underage sale test which was also failed when a 15-year-old boy was able to buy a £6 device.
The government on Friday announced that they will introduce new Respect Orders as part of the Crime and Policing Bill.
The measure, a modernised version of the anti-social behaviour orders that were introduced by the last Labour Government, is aimed at the most serious offenders who plague town centres and neighbourhoods with anti-social behaviour.
The Respect Orders will give the police and local councils powers to ban persistent offenders from town centres or from drinking in public spots such as high streets and local parks. These will be piloted prior to national rollout to make sure they are as effective as possible.
Perpetrators can also be required to address the root cause of their behaviour by being mandated to undertake positive rehabilitation, such as attending drug or alcohol treatment services, or an anger management course to address the underlying causes of their behaviour.
Failure to comply with Respect Orders will be a criminal offence. Police will have the ability to immediately arrest anybody who is breaching their Respect Order.
“Antisocial behaviour chips away at communities’ sense of confidence and pride, undermines local businesses and can have a devastating impact on victims,” Yvette Cooper, home secretary, said.
“This cannot be allowed to continue. Respect Orders will give police and councils the powers they need to crack down on repeated anti-social behaviour, keeping our communities safe and ensuring repeat offenders face the consequences of their actions.”
As well as prison sentences of up to two years, criminal courts will also be able to issue unlimited fines and community orders, such as unpaid work, and curfews as punishment for breaching a Respect Order.
Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed the announcement, terming it as key step to tackling the epidemic of retail crime.
“After years of the Conservatives effectively decriminalising retail crime, leading to a more than doubling in shoplifting since the pandemic, we now have a government that is delivering on its promise to bring town centre crime under control,” Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, said.
“We very much welcome the announcement of new Respect Orders to tackle repeat offenders who terrorise shops and high streets, striking fear into the hearts of retail workers whenever they enter the store.”