Having launched a number of new packaging products in recent times - all aimed at the food to go sector - Colpac’s commercial director, Andrew Grimbaldeston (pictured), reports that they have learnt a lot more about their customers, while also drawing attention to the latest trends, waste disposal and sustainability initiatives that are likely to shape packaging development in the coming years.

As the food to go sector welcomes back its dearly missed customers, operators will need to tap into the latest trends and product launches to help make their offerings exciting and desirable, with the right use of herbs and spices, sauces and condiments helping to elevate any dish from average to wonderful.

Trade body, UKHospitality – which acts a voice for some 730 companies operating around 85,000 venues - has unveiled a new 12-point plan to tackle the current staffing crisis facing an industry that remains in a hugely fragile state following more than a year of closures and severely restricted trading.

Stephen Nolan, managing director of Nutritics – a well known provider of recipe management and food labelling software – says that they have been working closely over the last year with businesses of all sizes, enabling them to set up accurate and efficient processes to comply with Natasha’s Law.

As food businesses across the UK re-opened last month, many have only just begun to look at the obligations and compliance requirements that need to be met by 1 October 2021 for Natasha’s Law (the legislation coming into effect following the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who suffered a fatal allergic reaction after eating a pre-packed baguette).

The tragic death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse in 2016 gave the food industry a clear message that changes needed to be made with regard to the labelling of allergens. 

With lockdowns having a huge effect on the food service sector, consumer routines and eating habits have inevitably had to change. Alastair Cupper from allmanhall, an independently owned food procurement consultancy, considers whether these changes are here for the long-term, or whether the food trends that emerged through the lockdown were just a fad.