Sandwich & Food to Go Magazine - 209 - February 2024

Page 4

NEWS

Our first edition of the new year is a bumper one across 15 pages, with all the latest industry developments, appointments, previews and trends.

Vegetable prices still a challenge, as inflation falls Inflation as measured by the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index (FPI) fell again during November to 15.0% – its lowest level since July 2022. But the speed of that fall is much slower than the equivalent rise to the 22.9% peak of December last year. On the way up, it took just four months to rise from 15% to the peak; on the way down, it was over twice the time period at 11 months. Meanwhile, levels of supermarket price inflation (measured by CPI), which fell sharply between May and September, began to firm again in the run-up to Christmas. In November, FPI saw just two categories (oils and fats

at 1.4%, and dairy at 8.8%) performing below 10% yearon-year. This was in stark contrast to vegetables, where inflation remained extremely high at 27.3%. The UN FAO Food Commodity Index averaged 120.4 points in November 2023, unchanged from its October level, as increases in the price indices for vegetable oils, dairy products and sugar counterbalanced decreases in those of cereals and meat. The index stood 14.4 points (10.7%) below its corresponding level one year ago. Brent Crude eased one dollar a barrel in the month, with a sharp fall in early December. Sterling appreciated 4% during the month against the dollar, while annual growth in employees’ average total pay (including bonuses) remained over 7% in November. Shaun Allen, CEO of Prestige Purchasing, said: “With the market coming off peak-levels of inflation, operators need to be vigilant as suppliers seek to enhance margins to rebuild balance sheets.” James Ashurst, client director at CGA by NIQ, said: “After such rapid rises in inflation, it’s frustrating to see a much slower journey back towards more normal levels. The general UK rate may be coming down, but businesses across the supply chain feel the heat for some time to come.

UK factory for Sustainable Bottling Co. On the back of a £1million investment, the founder of anti-plastic campaigning soda brand, GUNNA Drinks, has launched a new aluminium bottling facility near Leicester. The 8,000 sq ft site is the first in the UK and Europe with the capabilities to bottle drinks in aluminium beyond water and, as well as bottling GUNNA’s own lemonades, will also offer white label aluminium bottling to the broader industry. This move comes in line with the booming aluminium bottle market in the US, as seen via brands such as PepsiCo’s Proud Source Water. Launching as The Sustainable Bottling Co., this step has positive environmental implications, due to the new ease and availability of aluminium bottling for drinks brands across Europe. Currently, around 70% of soft drinks are bottled in damaging single use plastic (SUP), whereas aluminium is infinitely recyclable. The Sustainable Bottling Co. will offer not only 470ml aluminium bottles, which GUNNA Drinks are packaged in and is comparable to most plastic bottles on shelf currently,

but will have the capabilities to produce bottles from 330ml to 750ml. The offering of an aluminium bottle also has exciting implications as it can house more liquid and mimics the footprint of a plastic bottle on shelf. Melvin Jay, founder of The Sustainable Bottling Co. as well as GUNNA Drinks, said: “It’s exciting to offer the industry access to significantly more planet-friendly bottling. There are far-reaching needs for aluminium bottling and we can’t wait to start fulfilling these.”

4 I www.sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk

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25/01/2024 17:25


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