Industry News

The latest news from the natural and organic products industry.

OTB receives £1.73m in funding

The Organic Trade Board (OTB) is to receive a loan from Triodos Bank, Europe’s leading sustainable bank, to help grow organic sales in the UK in 2018 and beyond.

Over half of consumers desire tax on plastic packaging, says report

Following increased media coverage and promises of governmental action on increasingly pressing environmental issues, a new survey for Ingredient Communications has revealed that more than half (52%) of the UK’s consumers are in favour of a tax on all plastic packaging of food products.

Here we come a-wassailing

On a cold, late February evening Alara Wholefoods and The London Orchard Project got together to stage the annual Alara Wassail. The event celebrates...

Viridian-commissioned film highlights opportunity for ‘social prescribing’

A TV doctor, specialist health food store and industry body feature prominently in a film created for Viridian Nutrition on bringing lifestyle medicine to...

Orgran scoops top prize at FreeFrom Food Awards

It’s that time of year again, when the winners of the Freefrom Food Awards are announced, and this year’s top accolade ­– the FAIR trophy for Best FreeFrom Food – was presented to Orgran for its Vegan Easy Egg.

Organic and sustainable is the future, says Zara boss

The CEO of international fashion brand Zara has said there is 'no contradiction' between sustainability and profitability.

NHS enters natural bodycare market

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust has created its own bodycare brand – My Trusty ­– that is free from parabens, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), preservatives or artificial...

Opening the doors to NPE18

The UK's biggest and busiest natural and organic trade event, Natural & Organic Products Europe (NPE), opens its doors to the industry this weekend, with record attendance expected.

UK microbead ban to go ahead this year

Michael Gove has said that legislation will be introduced this year to ban microbeads in rinse-off personal care products.

ASA tells kefir brand not to use ‘long life’ description

The Advertising Standards Authority ruled this week that use of the phrase ‘long life’ in a promotional poster for a kefir drink breached advertising rules.

Online vegan supermarket goes live

Notfrom.com is a new online supermarket offering solely natural, cruelty-free, plant-based and planet-friendly products to customers in the UK and EU.

Retail pioneers to speak at autumn organic conference

People’s Supermarket pioneer Arthur Potts Dawson and Planet Organic founder Renée Elliot are among an impressive speaker line-up for this year’s ‘Selling Organic’ conference hosted...

Cut sugars and increase fibre says SACN “wake-up call” report

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) – an independent body of public health experts – published its long-awaited Carbohydrates and Health report last month, declaring...

Charity urges serious allergy sufferers to be cautious with free-from foods

The serious allergy sufferers charity, The Anaphylaxis Campaign, has highlighted the confusion consumers sometimes have over the difference foods marketed as ‘free-from’ and those...

FSA self-regulation plan for top food firms branded “scandalous”

News reported by the The Grocer that the Food Standards Agency is planning to allow major food firms, including Tesco, to self-regulate on food...

The suboptimal diet sending us to an early grave

A new report published in The Lancet on 3 April has shown suboptimal daily diet to be a bigger killer than smoking, with poor nutrition now accounting for one in five deaths worldwide.

Natural Products Scandinavia releases initial exhibitor list

Exhibition space for the Nordic natural and organic products industry’s first-ever dedicated trade show – Natural Products Scandinavia – is now almost entirely sold...

GM’s legacy: the eradication of independent food production?

“At its core the GM industry is about the eradication of independent food production.” That’s the stark conclusion of Ramon Herrera, one of the activists ...

Future bright for novel foods following Strasbourg vote

Last week MEPs adopted proposals that will enable novel foods to be brought to market with far less obstruction and bureaucracy. The changes to the...

Ecover to turn sea waste into new generation plastic packaging

Leading green cleaning brand Ecover is claiming a world-first in packaging in 2014 – a new generation sustainable and recyclable plastic incorporating post-consumer recyclables...