Did you know… 30% of the food Ireland produces is discarded? Not-for-profit group FoodCloud published its findings on food wastage last week. FoodCloud has worked with charities in Dublin since it was set up last year, and has since provided approximately 13,000 meals by re-using wasted food products. The results also indicate that Irish consumers throw away one million tonnes of food every year, amounting to around €700 worth of food per household. In addition, half of Irish fruit and vegetables never make it to the supermarket shelf, while one in 10 people in Ireland suffer from food poverty. FoodCloud also said that if 50,000 consumers and business in Ireland reduced food waste by 1kg per week for one year, €1 million or 5.7 million meals can be saved.
Did you know… Moy Park may be set for a partial flotation this year? The Armagh-based food group's parent company, Marfrig, is reportedly examining selling stakes in two foreign subsidiaries, Moy Park and Keystone Foods, based in the US. Marfrig's chief executive Sergio Rial said the move is to pay down debt in the company. Rial told Bloomberg that the group has hired banks to advise on a possible sale. “It could be both or it could be just one, but we’re looking at both,” he said, referring to Moy Park and Keystone Foods as options.
Did you know… BWG Wines & Spirits has won a Bronze award at the Global Pinot Noir Masters 2014 for its Canalette Pinot Noir wine? This is the second global award the group has won for its wines, previously winning Gold for its Prestige Champagne at the International Wine Challenge 2013. The Global Pinot Noir Masters Awards are run by the European trade magazine 'Drinks Business' and around 300 Pinot Noir wines from across the world are judged. The judges consisted of eight Masters of Wine and one Master Sommelier who blind tasted the wines according to price and style.
Did you know… A new Enterprise Ireland Cork Feasibility Fund will offer €200,000 to Cork entrepreneurs? Each entrepreneur selected by the Fund could gain as much as €25,000 each to start up their business. The fund is designed to assist individuals or start-ups investigate the viability of a new growth-orientated business proposition to be located in Cork City or County. Enda McDonnell, Enterprise Ireland’s Director for the South/South East Region said, “If you are an entrepreneur or very early stage business with your eyes on international growth, we encourage you to review details of the scheme, […] It might be just what you have been looking for to test the commercial potential of your business idea.” The deadline for all applications is 6pm on Friday 25th April 2014. Full details of the fund, including the application form, are available on the Enterprise Ireland website, www.enterprise-ireland.com/corkfund
Did you know… A number of children have reportedly been admitted to hospital due to suspected e-cigarette poisoning? According to the Irish Examiner, two children were treated in Mercy Hospital in Cork, poisoned by liquid nicotine. Reportedly, liquid nicotine is absorbed faster than nicotine in tobacco products and there were 1,300 cases of e-liquid nicotine poisonings in the US last year. Dr Chris Luke of Mercy Hospital expressed his concern at the e-cigarette trend and likened it to the trend of head shops four years ago.
Did you know… The Irish Dairy Board (IDB) has taken out a €420 million loan to fund expansion abroad? The owner of Kerrygold and Dubliner cheese obtained a five year syndicated loan which replaces an existing three-year €350 million facility. IDB said that €255 million will be used for syndicated reverse invoice discounting for members, while €165 million will fund working capital requirements and IDB’s growth strategy. The loan is funded by AIB, Bank of America, Merill Lynch, Barclays, HSBC, Rabobank and Ulster Bank. IDB finance director Donal Buggy said, "The successful refinancing demonstrates the strong support that exists amongst our participating banks for both the IDB and the Irish dairy industry generally.” IDB employs 3,100 people across the world and sells €2 billion of dairy products for Irish dairy processors and farmers.
Did you know… Dunnes Stores own-brand sausages were recalled last week due to incorrect labelling? The sausages, both jumbo and cocktail ranges, were found to contain potentially allergic sulphur dioxide, which was not declared on the food labelling, according to the Food Standards Authority of Ireland (FSAI). All batches and all use by dates are implicated and Dunnes have removed them from sale. A FSAI statement said, “Sulphites were not declared on the label of all batches of the sausage rolls. This may make them unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of sulphur dioxide or sulphites."
Did you know… Three quarters of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will not give staff pay rises this year? The results, from a survey carried out by Viking, and also found that 46% of business owners surveyed said that business had improved over the last three months, while half said that attracting new business to ensure growth of their companies was the biggest challenge for the year ahead. Viking director Michael Walby said, “The overall economic picture may be gradually improving with optimisim slowly building, but most small business owners remain very cautious and we expect that to remain the case in the medium term.” 10% of SMEs said that reducing costs was their priority issue, while 9% said that sector-specific sluggishness was their main concern.
Did you know... This year's Supervalu Tidy Towns competition was launched last week? The competition aims to encourage the efforts of local people to bring benefits to their communities. Over 800 cities, towns and villages in Ireland have entered the competition in the past three years. The Tidy Towns Competition was officially launched by Phil Hogan, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and Martin Kelleher, Managing Director of SuperValu. Minister Hogan said, “TidyTowns has been improving the environment in which we live for over 56 years, and has helped to transform the appearance of our towns and villages and to foster Ireland’s image abroad.” The closing date for receipt of entries for this year’s competitions is May 22, 2014.
Did you know… The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is hosting a Small Food Business Start-Up Seminar in Galway? The seminar will share information and advice with small food business operators and those considering setting up a small food business about legislation regarding food hygiene and food safety. At the half day event, various experts from the FSAI will outline: information resources available from the FSAI, food safety training requirements, how to set up a food safety management system, labelling regulations and the process for a product recall. An Environmental Health Service representative will detail how to register food businesses and what to expect from an inspection. The event is free, but registration is required on the FSAI website www.fsai.ie
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Genna Patterson
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