FoodCloud collaborates with farmers to redistribute food waste

FoodCloud is calling on farmers across Ireland to get involved in its Growers’ Project after a successful pilot programme run with the support of the Irish government and Tesco.

The 2022 trial saw 30 tonnes of food redistributed with targets for the full project now doubled to 60 tonnes of produce. That amounts to around 130,000 meals, enough to feed a full capacity Croke Park and Aviva Stadium combined.

The latest research indicates that more than 40% of food produced globally is wasted, including an estimated 15% that is lost during harvest which equates to approximately 1.2 billion tonnes. This places huge pressure on the planet’s natural resources, with a significant environmental impact.

The Growers’ Project is an initiative led by FoodCloud, with the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, aimed at reducing food waste at farm level by connecting growers who have surplus produce with community groups located around the country

Calling on farmers to get involved, FoodCloud CEO and co-founder Aoibheann O’Brien said: “Our target is to redistribute

60 tonnes of produce that would not otherwise have been harvested or which might have been sent for animal feed.”

The FoodCloud Growers’ Project will receive funding of almost €180,000 from the Rural Innovation and Development Fund.

If growers or producers are interested in working with FoodCloud on this project, they should email growersproject@foodcloud.ie

Bord Bia’s Irish Farmhouse Cheese Summer Campaign celebrates sector’s richness and diversity

Bord Bia has launched an Irish farmhouse cheese campaign for summer 2023, with a key aim of raising awareness of the exceptional quality and unique flavours of Irish farmhouse cheeses.

From lush green pastures to the passionate cheese makers, each cheese represents a distinct part of Ireland, capturing the essence of its landscape and the artistry of its producers.

Irish farmhouse cheeses are renowned for their wide variety of styles and milk types, including cow, goat, sheep, and buffalo The combination of passion, people, place, and pasture contributes to the unparalleled taste and quality of these cheeses. Each cheese reflects the cheesemaker’s personality and the story of the farm where it was made

“Our ambition is to bring Irish farmhouse cheese to the forefront of consumers’ minds during the summer months,” says Liam McCabe, sector manager for Dairy Specialist Sectors at Bord Bia. “We want to remind people of the versatility and excellence of farmhouse cheeses, whether it’s the perfect centrepiece for a cheeseboard when

Tesco Ireland trials new fresh meat packaging

New campaign aims to bring Irish farmhouse cheese to the forefront of consumers’ minds during the summer months entertaining friends or incorporating them into delightful recipes that support local producers.”

The messaging and creative elements of the campaign emphasise the quality and versatility of Irish farmhouse cheese Topics such as creating the perfect summer cheeseboard and exploring delicious recipes using farmhouse cheeses are highlighted at www.bordbia.ie

Tesco Ireland has unveiled plans to trial new meat packaging format on its mince products which will help reduce plastic use by 68%.

Tesco’s new ‘pillow pack’ packaging uses 68% less plastic

The retailer will replace its existing Tesco ownbrand mince packaging with a flow wrap alternative known as a ‘pillow pack’ which ensures the product is kept intact without compromising on quality or taste It will replace the current plastic tray and film lid, starting with the Tesco Irish lean Steak Mince 5% fat, 470g.

Tesco Ireland fresh food category director, John Brennan said the new packaging “guarantees the same high-quality look, taste and feel that our customers know and expect from us”.

Sales of BBQ essentials and ready meals on the up: Kantar

Take-home grocery sales in Ireland from Kantar for the four weeks to 11 June 2023 revealed that during the recent warm weather, shoppers spent an additional €1.9m on chilled burgers and grills, and €1.2m on fresh sausages.

Sales of total chilled ready meals shot up by 20% during the four weeks to 11 June 2023

“With the cost-of-living crisis bringing change to traditional shopping and eating behaviours, people are also thinking more about what they eat and how they cook at home,” said senior retail analyst at Kantar, Emer Healy “As shoppers look for easier meals with less waste, sales of total chilled ready meals shot up by 20% with shoppers spending an additional €2.9m year-on-year.”

Exciting highlights announced for Big Grill Festival 2023

Big Grill 2023 is back in Herbert Park from 17 –20 August, and new chefs and restaurants have now been added to the lineup, such as Chimac, Crankee Yankee Corn Dogs and Dublin Pizza Company, to name just a few, as well as timetables launched for the Bastecamp and Brewcamp stages.

In a festival led by ingredients and fed by fire, this year’s line-up is smoking with talent from all over the world and with an increased focus on niche, skilled and in-depth live demos, most of which will never have been seen in Ireland before, tickets for Big Grill Festival 2023 are in hot demand!

Tickets are available now on www.biggrillfestival.com ■

Cushelle introduces Longer Lasting Rolls across range after successful launch

Following the successful launch of Cushelle Tubeless with Longer Lasting Rolls in June 2022, Essity is leading the category by rolling out 50% Longer Lasting Rolls across the Cushelle portfolio since June 2023.

Cushelle’s Original, Quilted and Quilted Lotioned Longer Lasting Roll ranges are now available with 50% more sheets on each roll which means shoppers run out less often and can make a more sustainable choice.

Building on the success of the move to Longer Lasting Rolls in the household towel category with its Plenty brand a couple of years ago, Essity took the initiative in 2022 to lead the market move within the bathroom tissue category with Tubeless Longer Lasting Rolls.

Longer Lasting Rolls have 50% more sheets per roll and are therefore more space efficient, which benefits shoppers, and affords retailers better use of shelf space, and greater efficiency throughout the supply chain.

BAT launches Velo, the UK’s number one nicotine pouch, in Ireland

BAT has just launched Velo nicotine pouches in Ireland. Velo is the UK’s number one nicotine pouch* and is a market leader across 15 European markets. The brand is proud of its continued innovation to cater for the evolving preferences of adult nicotine consumers, including the flavours and variety of nicotine strengths they prefer The Velo range newly launched in Ireland, offers four flavours across four differing strengths, plus slim and mini sizes.

Nicotine pouches such as Velo give adult nicotine consumers a modern, convenient way to consume nicotine with no butts, tobacco, smoke or smell** from start to finish. They are convenient, discreet and easy to use Velo nicotine pouches are packaged with minimal waste in a fully recyclable tin.

The slim pouches contain nicotine and other high-quality ingredients including flavourings, sweeteners, plant-based materials and water, and come in a nifty pack. The pouches are placed under the upper lip where the nicotine is released and absorbed. They appeal to adult consumers keen on quality, sustainability and convenience.

Velo’s convenience is a major draw for adult nicotine consumers. They can take Velo with them anytime, anywhere – and it’s hands-free once the lid is off Velo is also an ideal choice in places where smoking and vaping is restricted including in some public spaces, on public transport, at airports, and many other locations.

*(Source:

The move to Longer Lasting Rolls has also been a further step towards Essity’s sustainability goals, helping to reduce the amount of pallets, lorries and packaging needed to bring Cushelle’s irresistible cushiony softness to customers.

Essity believes strongly in investing in clearly communicating this market move, with a bespoke marketing and shopper campaign throughout the full path-to-purchase, from TV through to in-store activation, and plenty more in-between, to communicate that “Cushelle is leading the charge in this category change to a more convenient, more sustainable solution,” says Simon Pickering, country manager for Ireland for Cushelle

The launch of new Longer Lasting Rolls has also been recognised and gained approval from the Good Housekeeping Institute for 2023 with the logo and accreditation rolling out on to packaging.

Get in touch with your sensitive side with Nivea Men

Nivea Men, Ireland’s number one male facecare brand, is making it easy for men to embrace their sensitive side The Nivea Men Sensitive range will not only help skin feel invigorated and fresh but will also help embrace facial hair while avoiding skin irritation.

With facial hair often comes dryness and itchiness, not to mention the redness, burning and tightness caused from shaving. To combat this problem, the Nivea Men Sensitive range combines a unique formula to soothe and protect sensitive skin. With 0% ethyl alcohol, this product range relieves the five signs of shaving irritation. The Nivea Men Sensitive range includes its much-loved cleansing, shaving, post-shaving, and body care products.

With 65% of men claiming to have sensitive skin*, the Nivea Men Sensitive Moisturiser, 75ml, ¤10.50 has an alcohol-free soothing formula with Chamomile and Vitamin E to provide all-day relief from the five signs of skin irritation. The light cream, made with Witch Hazel, is fast absorbing, non-greasy, non-sticky and intensively moisturises skin for 24 hours.

Nivea Men Sensitive Face Wash, 100ml, ¤7, is a soap free face wash that cleanses and refreshes the skin. Thanks to Vitamin E and menthol it cleanses the skin deeply while removing dirt and excess oils.

Nivea Men Sensitive Shave Gel, 200ml, ¤5.40, provides a flawless razor glide, allowing even the toughest stubble to be shaved with just one stroke The extra gentle formula with Ultra Glide Technology is fragrance-neutral and enriched with chamomile and hamamelis.

Nivea Men Sensitive Shower Gel, 250ml, ¤3.55 is a three-in-one product suitable for body, face and hair, providing skin with long-lasting freshness and no dreaded dry skin feeling.

Nivea Men Sensitive Protect Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, 150ml, ¤4.15 has been dermatologically tested and developed especially for sensitive skin to reliably protect from sweat and body odour for 48 hours. ■

Sweet victory for M&S: Percy Pig makers agree settlement with Swizzels

Marks & Spencer agreed a settlement last month with sweetmaker Swizzels after accusing it of copying its much-loved Percy Pigs The supermarket chain reported it had reached an‘amicable resolution’ with the Derbyshire-based confectionery business, who had agreed to change the design of its Pigs Mugs treats, which it has sold since 1996. M&S lawyers had claimed that the sweets were so similar that customers could have bought the wrong ones in error. A 37-page document filed at the High Court in London in November showed that the Percy Pig brand had generated a £131.7 million turnover since its launch in 1993 and that 271 bags are sold each minute.

In the retailer’s legal submission, an example was used of a customer who loved the sweets so much they had a tattoo of Percy’s face. Now that’s what we call brand loyalty!

The Percy Pig brand had generated a £131.7 million turnover since launching in 1993

Move over ‘Cronuts’: the Crubik is here!

The tables were turned on the humble (but deliciously flakey and buttery) croissant around a decade ago when the cronut arrived on the scene - a hybrid croissant and donut. However, the Daily Mail reports the latest evolution of the pastry has now arrived in the form of a Crubik - and it’s already becoming a huge hit.

Fake Dunnes Stores website targeted customers

Earlier this month, Irish shoppers were urged to be aware of a fake website that was purporting to be Dunnes Stores

Fortunately, the website unconnected with the real Dunnes Stores has since been removed. However, it convincingly mimicked the exact branding and layout of the retailer’s official website to convince shoppers to click into it to avail of some heavily discounted sales

The Irish Mirror reports a customer who shared a screenshot of the fake site online brought officials to the attention of the scam A representative for Dunnes Stores stated:“Thank you for the tweet. I can confirm this page is not associated with Dunnes Stores and our online team are working on having this removed as soon as possible.”

As one person sagely noted online:“The fake website is offering unbelievable deals, literally too good to be true. Remember folks if it seems too good to be true, most likely it is a scam.”Wise words indeed!

Following the Twitterati

■ Ireland’s Property District @PropDistrict

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it? Chefs are continuing to innovate with the pastry classic that is the croissant

The Farmacia del Cambio bar in Turin is the home of the new cubed-shaped croissant and its creator chef Matteo Baronetto. Each day a long queue forms around Turin’s Piazza Carignano to snap up the latest batch of freshly baked pastries. The name is a nod to the inventor of the Rubik’s Cube, Ernő Rubik.

Unfortunately for Baronetto, he is unlikely to be able to patent his creation. Similar cube-shaped buttery pastries are sold across Europe as well as rivals at home in the form of the KuBo at Milan’s Clèa bakery. Whether it will make its way to Irish shores remains to be seen, but we’re pretty content with the yummy original here at ShelfLife Towers in any case!

Grocery across the globe

France

Carrefour launches generative AI-powered shopping experience

Carrefour has begun deploying three innovative tech solutions based around ChatGPT technology: an advice robot for shopping on carrefour.fr, description sheets for Carrefour brand products on its website and support for purchasing procedures. The solutions are based on OpenAI technologies, particularly GPT-4. For internal purchasing processes, a generative AI solution is currently being developed alongside teams from the non-retail purchasing division to help with everyday tasks – such as drafting invitations to tender and analysing quotes.

USA

Walmart aims to create more sustainable omnichannel fulfillment network

Walmart recently adopted several measures to reduce the amount of packaging waste associated with online orders. This involves moving from plastic to recyclable paper mailers; anticipated to remove more than 2,000 tons of plastic from circulation in the US by the end of the current fiscal year It also includes right-sizing cardboard box packaging, giving customers the option to consolidate shipping on eCommerce orders, opting out of single-use plastic bags for online pickup orders and last mile delivery efficiencies to reduce mileage and delivery times.

Lidl Ireland GmbH has applied for permission for the development of 12 residential units and for partial change of use to increase the net retail floor area at its retail store on Boghall Road, Bray

■ Micheál Martin @MichealMartinTD

I’m after eating an entire cheeseboard that I got in SuperValu for a fiver and lads I am READY for these lucid dreams.

■ Kari Mehome @Kari_mehome

Be careful if you’re shopping @dunnesstores online There is a fake Chinese account that have set up a copycat website and when you buy something they are charging your card hundreds! Dunnes is aware and trying to get it taken down by all accounts. [The website has since been removed: Ed]

■ Shirley Chance Howe @ShirleyCHowe

Maybe it’s cos I’m just a pedantic auld geographer, but I *probably* wouldn’t have chosen Big Ben as the landmark to represent Ireland on @lidl_ireland’s cheerful new desk mat.

Spain

Alcampo puts second product with Blockchain technology on the market

Alcampo has put a new product with Blockchain technology on the market. Namely, organic eggs marketed under its brand ‘Cultivamos lo Bueno’ from its supplier Casa Garzea. By scanning a code on cardboard packs, consumers can access variable information according to each production lot, such as the farm, warehouse collection date, packaging date, units per batch and a plastic quantity counter avoided since May, the date on which the first Blockchain tests began.

Uk

Tesco revamps in-store bakery range

Shoppers are to be offered a fresher bakery experience at Tesco, with the introduction of new top quality, limited-edition speciality bread and sweet products, available for less than the premium prices often found at trendy artisan bakeries. Tesco’s in-store bakery range last month launched nearly 30 new lines, including six limited-edition products. As part of the revamp, the supermarket is also including nutritional information on packaging, such as calorie content and daily recommended allowances. ■