Wheat and other wholesale food costs have risen sharply after Russia withdrew from an export deal designed to ensure crucial supplies flow from war-torn Ukraine (Sky News). Wheat prices rose as much as 8% yesterday after Russia pulled out of a deal allowing grain shipments from Ukraine to reach global markets (The Daily Mail).

Christmas turkey fears as England bird flu rules widened – all poultry and captive birds in England must be kept indoors from 7 November under new restrictions to fight avian flu after turkey farmers warned of a shortage this Christmas caused by the country’s largest ever bird flu outbreak. (The BBC)

Inflation in the eurozone is estimated to have hit double digits for the first time, climbing higher than expected amid sharp price rises for energy and food (The Times £). The crisis in the eurozone deepened as inflation hit a record high and the economy slowed sharply (The Daily Mail).

The Co-operative Group has completed the sale of its petrol forecourt business to its supermarket rival Asda for £600m, saying the money will be reinvested in its grocery stores, keeping prices down and reducing debt. (The Guardian)

Shopkeepers are demanding stricter laws to protect people’s health, with many concerned for children vaping, a new report has said. (Sky News)

A woman who has been called the “Erin Brockovich of Bradford” for taking her employer to court without legal representation and winning has said she has been overwhelmed by the “unexpected” response. Donna Patterson, 38, was awarded £60,000 at a tribunal after arguing that the supermarket chain Morrisons had discriminated against her when she returned to work after maternity leave. (The Guardian)

Morrisons, Ocado and Waitrose have been named as the most expensive supermarkets by Which? (Sky News)

The coronavirus crisis had a larger negative effect on the UK’s retail and transport sectors than previously thought, leaving their contribution to the economy still far short of pre-pandemic levels, according to official data. (The Financial Times £)

Food has always been at the sharp end of the UK’s decision to leave the EU: a 24/7 supply chain that brings in from Europe about a third of overall food consumption and is highly vulnerable to portside delays, allied to a low-margin domestic sector that relies on immigrant workers and on exports, mainly to the EU, for its profitability. (The Financial Times £)

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