A government quango has launched an urgent plan to redress an acute shortage of scientists and technologists working in food and drink.
Improve - the food and drink sector skills council - is heading a top-level working party to find out the extent of the problem.
It is understood the recent Sudan 1 and Para Red scares revealed gaping holes in some laboratories’ ability to cope with major crises.
The newly established working group - titled Future - Food Science and Technology - has been set a September deadline to report its findings, after which it will come up with a plan of action. Research company NOP has been enlisted to investigate how bad the science skills shortage has become. It will also look at the provision and level of take-up of relevant courses at colleges.
Jack Matthews, chief executive of Improve and chairman of the working group, said: “Everyone knows there is a problem and everyone knows it’s getting worse.
“But until now no-one has undertaken thorough research to understand the size and nature of it, or to find out the impact the shortage is having on the competitiveness of UK food and drink businesses.”
Scotch whisky Glen Grant is likely to be the most sought after brand in a portfolio of drinks that Pernod Ricard must divest in order to acquire UK group Allied Domecq. Earlier this week the European Commission cleared Pernod’s £7.6bn acquisition, but said the company must sell brands and end some distribution agreements. Whiskies Glen Grant, Old Smuggler and Braemer, and two Portuguese brandies are up for grabs.
Tesco has completed a nine-month project to give 523 of its One Stop convenience stores fully integrated EPOS and chip and PIN systems.A spokeswoman said: “We set rigid timescales for this project and wanted to be live within nine months. It was also important that we were able to sustain a high level of customer service throughout the roll-out.”
The Post Office has launched a PR offensive to woo retailers and shoppers after complaints from independents that their contracts with the Post Office are overly restrictive (‘PO must give more’, The Grocer, May 28, p11). The move is designed to support the PO’s franchise drive.
The GMB is claiming a victory in its campaign to get a better deal for supermarket employees. Asda has made what the GMB called a significantly improved offer for depot workers in Tyne and Wear following a 24-hour walk out on June 23.
Spar wholesaler James Hall & Co is to reward loyal retailers by investing more than £1million in their businesses. Retailers in the north of England will get £1 back for every £100 spent in a year. The credit can be used to offset store reinvestment.
sought after glen
chips are down
POst haste
union progress
spar payback
Improve - the food and drink sector skills council - is heading a top-level working party to find out the extent of the problem.
It is understood the recent Sudan 1 and Para Red scares revealed gaping holes in some laboratories’ ability to cope with major crises.
The newly established working group - titled Future - Food Science and Technology - has been set a September deadline to report its findings, after which it will come up with a plan of action. Research company NOP has been enlisted to investigate how bad the science skills shortage has become. It will also look at the provision and level of take-up of relevant courses at colleges.
Jack Matthews, chief executive of Improve and chairman of the working group, said: “Everyone knows there is a problem and everyone knows it’s getting worse.
“But until now no-one has undertaken thorough research to understand the size and nature of it, or to find out the impact the shortage is having on the competitiveness of UK food and drink businesses.”
Scotch whisky Glen Grant is likely to be the most sought after brand in a portfolio of drinks that Pernod Ricard must divest in order to acquire UK group Allied Domecq. Earlier this week the European Commission cleared Pernod’s £7.6bn acquisition, but said the company must sell brands and end some distribution agreements. Whiskies Glen Grant, Old Smuggler and Braemer, and two Portuguese brandies are up for grabs.
Tesco has completed a nine-month project to give 523 of its One Stop convenience stores fully integrated EPOS and chip and PIN systems.A spokeswoman said: “We set rigid timescales for this project and wanted to be live within nine months. It was also important that we were able to sustain a high level of customer service throughout the roll-out.”
The Post Office has launched a PR offensive to woo retailers and shoppers after complaints from independents that their contracts with the Post Office are overly restrictive (‘PO must give more’, The Grocer, May 28, p11). The move is designed to support the PO’s franchise drive.
The GMB is claiming a victory in its campaign to get a better deal for supermarket employees. Asda has made what the GMB called a significantly improved offer for depot workers in Tyne and Wear following a 24-hour walk out on June 23.
Spar wholesaler James Hall & Co is to reward loyal retailers by investing more than £1million in their businesses. Retailers in the north of England will get £1 back for every £100 spent in a year. The credit can be used to offset store reinvestment.
sought after glen
chips are down
POst haste
union progress
spar payback
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