Is plastic packaging good or bad? Canadian study importantly notes benefits of food safety, protection
A study commissioned by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) highlights the critical role of packaging in fresh produce supply chains by quantifying the functionality of plastic packaging in fresh produce from a needs/benefit perspective. Although the study does not consider the impacts of packaging regulatory scenarios on fresh produce cost […]
WAPA: Apple production expected to see marked decline in EU while pears rise in 2024-25
Apple production in the EU is expected to decline in the 2024-25 season by a staggering 11.3%, or 10.3 million tonnes among top producing countries, according to new data released by the World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA). That bleak news, punctuated by a 13.6 decrease in production from the previous three years especially from […]
Produce advocates say there’s more land for golf than farms in the UK and that must change
Nature-friendly groups and celebrities say the government must stop relying on food imports and double the land used to grow fruits and vegetables. The open letter, coordinated by the agriculture-focused charity Soil Association, asks the Prime Minister to back and scale up horticulture sector. Chefs, influencers, and local celebrities like Sinead Fenton and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall […]
Why the next steps on EU’s approved packaging regulations are so critical to a sustainable future
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) was first presented in November 2022 by the European Commission with the goal of making packaging and its waste more sustainable in the European Union. This regulation sets requirements for packaging throughout its lifecycle, including its design, use and waste management. In October 2023, the committee on the […]
Norwich company’s non-browning banana receives GMO exempt status in Philippines
UK-based company Tropic Biosciences announced that its non-browning banana has earned non-genetically modified organism exempt status by the Philippines Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry. The GMO banana can now be imported and produced within the Philippines, which is the largest banana exporter in Southeast Asia and second only to Ecuador in the world, though […]
Aldi trades in plastic for paper band in trial to make banana packaging more sustainable
With just one small change to one product in its produce section, Aldi UK could eliminate 234 tonnes of plastic. So the discount retailer, like so many other supermarket chains across the UK focused squarely on sustainability, will trial the removal of plastic packaging on certain lines of bananas in select stores. They include […]
Aldi launches plans for new signage, sustainability improvements in 100 stores in UK
Aldi is pouring some £90 million into 100 of its supermarkets in the UK to make them more consumer friendly. In addition to increasing the amount of space its shoppers will have to navigate aisles in stores, Aldi is upgrading them with “energy efficient technology” which includes new doors on refrigerators and adding natural refrigerants […]
Westfalia puts stamp on sustainability by engraving Tesco logo on avocados
Avocado fans will notice interesting changes when buying one of Britain’s most popular fruits. In a move to help the environment, Tesco will do away with the sticky labels that extra-large avocados have today in favor of eye-catching laser engravings. At the same time, it is trialing the replacement of the plastic tray packaging on […]
