2 February 2023 - Flipbook - Page 40
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BUSINESS
FARMWEEK
JANUARY 23 2020
Reward farmers and growers for
their enterprise and investment
I
CAME across an important report
recently on food shopping trends
which has some interesting
information for producers,
retailers and shoppers.
The study – UK Food Trends: A
Snapshot in Time from the inuential
Lloyd’s Register – found that 75
per cent of UK shoppers want
supermarkets to stock only food from
sustainable and ethical sources, while
72 per cent also expect supermarkets,
shops and restaurants to know the
exact ingredients of all the foods they
sell.
It’s clear now that sustainability
is increasingly driving purchasing
decisions as people want to know
more about their food and are being
inuenced steadily by programmes
such as Blue Planet and the
‘Attenborough effect’ to factor in
environmental issues.
The process has already inuenced
packaging decisions due to concerns
Food for
thought
Michele Shirlow
Chief Executive of
Food NI
over single use plastic ending up in
landll and our oceans. Food safety is
also now an important consideration
and has been for some considerable
time. The report found that one in
every three consumers say that their
food safety concerns had increased
since last year. And one-in-ve had
changed brands following food
safety incidents or product recalls.
Around 60 per cent said the biggest
safety turn off resulted from reports
of bacterial contamination such as
It didn’t come as a surprise to me that
40 per cent of consumers, however, are
not prepared to pay more for ethical or
sustainable food products.
salmonella or listeria.
It didn’t come as a surprise to
me that 40 per cent of consumers,
however, are not prepared to pay
more for ethical or sustainable
food products. UK consumers
largely remain wedded to the cheap
food which has been a feature for
generations.
It’s an attitude, of course, which
expects producers, farmers and
processors to absorb the additional
costs of the ethical and sustainable
foods they are increasingly
demanding on the shelves, chillers
and freezers in supermarkets and
other stores across the UK. I hope
that consumers realise and accept
that the days of cheap foods are
drawing steadily to a close.
It must inevitably inuence their
merchandising and marketing
approaches. It’s grossly unfair to put
the cost burdens on growers and
producers, especially the farmers
and artisan enterprises, behind
the development of innovative and
healthy products.
Also interesting is the nding in
the report that some consumers are
suspicious of claims made about
foods being organic and vegan.
Almost 27 per cent of shoppers said
they were ‘not condent’ that some
food products labelled as organic are
grown or reared using organic farming
techniques.
This attitude may also explain why
they are also reluctant to pay extra
for them. Condence in the foods
they are considering clearly remains a
problem for many consumers. There
remains a need to strengthen fragile
trust by careful and more explicit
labelling and informative marketing
techniques.
I know from talking to many of
our 500 members and other local
businesses of the strength of
their commitment to wholesome,
sustainable food as well as honest
branding, labelling and marketing. As
a result, our industry has earned a
well-deserved reputation for integrity
in all their products and techniques.
It’s an industry based on excellence
on farm, processing, marketing and
logistics.
Our role in Food NI will remain
sharply focused on promoting the
essential qualities and value of
our food and drink, as well as the
professionalism and integrity of the
people behind the products here, to
Britain, the Republic of Ireland and
further aeld.
Rising to the challenge of making
one of our favourite foods healthier
B
AKERS from across Northern Ireland have
received guidance on producing healthier
scones from the Food Innovation Centre
based at the Loughry Campus of the
College of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs (CAFRE).
The aim of reducing calories, fat, sugar and salt
in scones was highlighted at the recent event
which was jointly hosted by the Foods Standards
Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland.
The seminar also focused on Northern Ireland’s
scone culture, marketing opportunities and
production techniques to make the product
healthier for consumers.Delegates also had
the chance to view CAFRE’s pilot bakery, food
innovation kitchens and sensory evaluation
facilities at the event at the Cookstown-based
campus.
Speaking about the FSA’s objective with this
project, Dr Kathleen Mooney, Senior Scientic
Advisor, FSA in NI, said: “We want to help local
businesses to produce scones with reduced
calories, fat, sugar and salt as part of our efforts
to help tackle obesity in Northern Ireland.
“Working in collaboration with CAFRE we
have created guidance that will support bakers
to reformulate their products in line with
Government advice for salt and sugar reduction.
“Work is ongoing, as part of our Eating Well
Choosing Better programme, to help small to
medium sized businesses across Northern Ireland
improve the nutritional quality of everyday
foods.”
The creation of this guidance follows survey
results last year, which revealed that some
scones sold in Northern Ireland can be in the
region of 750 calories and contain the equivalent
to 10 sugar cubes.
To view the survey results visit the Foods
Standards Agency website at https://www.food.
gov.uk/sites/default/les/media/document/
FROM PAGE 39
high profile chefs such as
Northern Ireland Michelin star
winner Michael Deane as well as
James Martin.
“Winning this acclaim from
top chefs was a tremendous
TASTY:
Christine
Haydock,
Senior Food
Technologist
CAFRE, Peter
Simpson,
Head of Food
Technology,
CAFRE,
Finnuala Close,
Senior Dietary
Health Advisor,
FSANI, and
Dr Kathleen
Mooney, Senior
Scientific
Officer, FSANI.
nutritional-content-of-scones-report_0.pdf
Peter Simpson, Head of Food Technology,
CAFRE, added: “We are delighted to be working
with the FSA in NI in producing this important
guidance and we were particularly pleased to
have the opportunity to invite bakers to the Food
Innovation Centre to attend this information
seminar.
“In Northern Ireland we have a fantastic agrifood industry which we can be justiably proud
off, and CAFRE Food Technologists are committed
to supporting the industry to improve the health
and wellbeing of consumers.”
n Contact kathleen.mooney@food.gov.uk or
christine.haydock@daera-ni.gov.uk for further
assistance or technical support.
Irish Black Butter for Artisan Food Club in Britain
confidence booster,” said Mr Bell.
Another business boost came last
year from Sheridan’s in the shape
of hugely significant listings by
Avoca and Fallon & Byrne, both in
Dublin and respected as two of the
most prestigious food halls and
restaurants there.
Avoca has around 10 stores on
the island of Ireland, including
an immensely popular outlet in
Belfast, while Fallon and Byrne has
a network in greater Dublin.
As well as developing sales in
Britain, Alastair is also now
fielding inquiries from delis in the
US, Germany and Middle East for
the unique spread.
YOUR ARTISAN SUPPLIERS
BELFAST:
Arcadia, 378 Lisburn Road.
Yellow Door, 427 Lisburn
Road.
Sawers Deli, Fountain
Centre, College Street.
Swantons Gourmet Foods,
Lisburn Road.
St George’s Food Market,
Oxford Street,
Every Saturday and Sunday;
8am-2pm.
COUNTY ANTRIM:
Ballylagan Organic Farm
Shop, 12 Ballylagan Road,
Straid.
Barr’s Deli, Ballymoney
Street, Ballymena.
Montgomery’s Ballymoney
Street, Ballymena.
Jackson’s Butchers and
Bakery, Main Street,
Ballynure.
Park Deli, Ballycastle.
Templepatrick Market
Fourth Sunday; 11am-6pm.
COUNTY ARMAGH:
Chapman’s Deli and Farm
Shop, Dobbin Road,
Portadown.
Forthill Farm Shop, 80
Ballymore Road, Tandragee.
John R Dowey and Son, 20
High Street, Lurgan.
Yellow Door Deli & Patisserie,
Portadown.
John Mitchell Place Market,
Fridays.
COUNTY LONDONDERRY:
Walled City Market, Guildhall
Square, First Saturday;
10am-4pm
Culdrum Organic Farm,
31a Ballylintagh Road,
Aghadowey.
Ditty’s Home Bakery, Main
Street, Castledawson and
Rainey Street, Magherafelt.
JC Stewarts, Rainey Street,
Magherafelt.
Culmore Organic Farm,
Culmore House, 54 Bann
Road, Kilrea.
COUNTY DOWN:
Churchtown Organic Farm
Shop, Strangford.
Harrison’s Farm Shop,
Ballybryan Road,
Greyabbey.
Heatherlea, Main Street,
Bangor and Strandtown,
Belfast.
Helen’s Bay Organic Farm, 23
Seaview Terrace, Helen’s
Bay.
McCartney’s, Main Street,
Moira.
McKee’s Country Store,
28 Holywood Road,
Newtownards.
Meat Merchant, Kilmore
Industrial Estate, Moira
Orr’s, Main Street, Holywood.
Pheasant’s Hill Farm Shop,
37 Killyleagh Road,
Downpatrick.
Quail’s Fine Foods, Newry
Street, Banbridge.
The Upper Square (Market)
Every second Saturday;
10am-1pm.
COUNTY FERMANAGH:
MacNean Farm, Belcoo,
Enniskillen
O’Doherty’s Fine Meats, 3
Belmore Street, Enniskillen.
COUNTY TYRONE:
Cloughbane Farm Shop 160
Tanderagee Road, Pomeroy
Deli on the Green,
Moygashel, Dungannon.
Market, Tesco’s Car Park,
First Saturday;
8.30am-1pm.
Canal Basin Market,
Last Saturday; 10am-2pm
