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August 2015 • Vol. 8 No. 8
ANDY ROUTLEY: “The difference between DB and other companies claiming that they also do this is that we truly do walk the talk.” (see page 6)
CHANGES TO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN RULES UNLIKELY HERE IN spite of Australia changing its labeling requirements this month to detail more fully the source of prime ingredients in processed food, it seems unlikely that New Zealand will be faced with more stringent country of origin requirements – although the industry is closely watching the Australian situation In New Zealand, the general opinion from government, the Ministry of Primary Industries and the Food & Grocery Council is that we should stick with the status quo because there seems no significant evidence – apart from Green Party persistence – that there is a problem to solve. This may well be ignoring a tendency for consumers, if pressed, to want to know where the food they are eating comes from. But generally, unlike Australia, there has been no consumer pressure to produce origin information, “The whole debate in New Zealand has really been superceded by extra information provided in-store or on pack by either retailers or manufacturers,”
said FGC ceo Katherine Rich. “If there are gaps in the information, then those lobbying for a mandatory system
here need to show us some evidence because as far as we are concerned, the information is already there.” A number of processed food
INDUSTRY BEST TO IGNORE UNIVERSITY “POLITICKING” THE Auckland University’s School of Population Health, an ongoing critic of the food and supermarket industry, must be running out of funding that it needs to create public attention over its latest claims – because it is just politicking at its best. The school has continued making radical claims over many years, most of which have been ridiculed by the industry and the latest are as silly and irresponsible as always. The grocery industry has to believe that the attention seeking pronouncements are simply to keep their department in front
of University funders. None of us could believe that expensive research could reveal that 85% of packaged foods in supermarkets are classified as being “ultraprocessed” – wow, what a revelation. This particular research, one of two “staggering” projects, says that ultraprocessed foods have been altered by sweeteners, salt and fat that turns them into products that are sometimes unrecognizable from the original items. Included in this category are frozen potato products such as chips and hash browns, cordial bases, flavoured drinks, meat alternatives and jam spreads among
SUPPORT COMPANIES MERGE
manufacturers already provide basic source information and a voluntary country of origin labeling system for fresh produce has been in place for years at retail level. “I’ve heard some commentators pretend the information isn’t available in supermarkets, but that’s simply not true,” said Rich. This is not quite the case in Australia where a recent consumer survey showed that perhaps as much as 60% of packaged supermarket product did not reveal where the ingredients were sourced. This research also noted that the top reason given for wanting the information was a desire to support local manufacturing and primary producers. At the same time, this may well be an opportunity for New Zealand producers to voluntarily clarify predominant content at times of various label changes or label production runs rather than continuing with vague and confusing information – the changes do need to be clear and meaningful. n
TWO prominent retail support companies have merged their operations this month following the acquisition of the brand activation company Product Placements 2011 Ltd (PPL) by the Albany-based Merchandiser Support Team (MST). Both companies say they have a similar service, people and product focused approach and both have grown organically over recent years. PPL director Merilyn Havler is stepping back from her company but is remaining with the team in a consultancy role. General manager Zekda Botes will remain with the merged operation. MST managing director Rod Smith whose company has delivered national in-store merchandising for the past 10 years, said the fit of the two companies could not be better and fresh growth was promised. n
other things. To say that this “ultra processing” poses unnecessarily large exposure to unhealthy food products in New Zealand, is just nonsense – they should try looking at supermarkets in other parts of the world. At the same time, the school has also come out with criticism of breakfast
product suppliers and its work there is even more irresponsible nonsense. Both suppliers and retailers would do well to ignore this pointless academic posturing because the industry does a great job of providing a variety of both fresh and processed products that certainly seems to suit the consumer. n
HYPOCRISY ON PRICING SUPERMARKET News agrees with the FGC that Auckland University researchers are a bunch of hypocrites. They are rightly saying that price forms a barrier to lower socio-economic consumers buying healthier food. But in its drive to make
supermarket shopping a healthier experience, those same academics have called for a blanket 20% food tax on bread, milk, eggs, dairy and meat. As the FGC says, it would be one of the most regressive taxes ever proposed in New Zealand. n
contents 06 Acorn Group 13 ANUGA 16 Store Check 22 Showcase Australia 26 Artisan
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