UK Food Research Articles

Critical Evaluation of the Impact of Training and Development Programs on the Performance of Employees in the UK Food Retail Sector

This research is a quantitative evaluation of the impact of training and development programs on the performance of employees in the UK food retail industry. The study assesses the impact of various training programs in the UK food retail businesses on the performance of employees. In essence, the study evaluated the context of the training programs, the most effective training programs, the environmental specific factors that influence training, and the impact these training programs have on the performance of employees. The study utilized the simple random sampling method under probability sampling in order to give a chance to all persons in the target population. As such a questionnaire was designed with a five-point Likert scale and 384 participants responded to these questions which were administered online with Google forms. In analyzing the data, the descriptive analysis was done using the SPSS, and a PLS-SEM analysis was made using SmartPLS. The findings of the study revealed that coaching and mentoring have no statistically significant relationship with employee performance, contrary to initial hypotheses. However, E-training has a significant positive relationship with employee performance, aligning with existing literature. Conversely, on-the-job training showed a significant negative relationship with employee performance, suggesting potential issues with its effectiveness or perception among employees. The study also revealed that environmental specific factors like political stability, sustainability, technological advancement, legal compliance, social trends and economic fluctuations influences training programs which in turn affects performance of employees. The results of this study provide valuable knowledge to managements of food retail businesses in the United Kingdom, it also in practice identifies the various training programs effective for performance in the food retail sector.

Examining the factors influencing sustainability performance in the UK food industry

ABSTRACT This research examines the role of organisational culture (OC) and supply chain integration (SCI) in improving sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP) in the food manufacturing industry in the UK. A competing value framework (CVF) was used to categorise OC into developmental, group, rational and hierarchical cultures. Qualitative interviews with 11 senior managers in the UK food industry were conducted and manually analysed. We found that three competing values in developmental, group and hierarchical cultures are effective in implementing and achieving higher SSCP. The values inherent in these cultures also trigger internal and external integration through which the firms acquire sustainability ideas, knowledge, training and skills from customers and suppliers to improve SSCP. We also found that within the context of sustainability, internal integration is critical to a successful external integration. The study contributes immensely to sustainability literature by highlighting the actual OC values relevant to achieving higher SSCP and establishing SCI’s mediating role. The study further assesses how SCI is established and formed by firms on the verge of achieving higher SSCP. Managers are advised to adopt blended competing values (developmental, group and hierarchical culture) and strengthen and heighten systemic SCI to implement sustainability practices, improve SSCP as well as overcome sustainability challenges.

Conceptualising food banking in the UK from drivers of use to impacts on health and wellbeing: A systematic review and directed content analysis

Food banks have become commonplace in the UK as an emergency response to food insecurity. However, food banks are not a long-term solution to food insecurity and are often not accessed by those in need. In the context of the cost-of-living crisis, and increased food insecurity, this systematic review applied market/government failure theory, voluntary failure theory, and Radimer et al.’s (1990) domains of food insecurity to explore three important aspects relevant to the food banking experience: the drivers of food bank use; the limitations of the current food bank model; and the impacts of the food banking model for food bank clients. Empirical, peer-reviewed articles written in English with a UK food bank context and reporting relevant data to these aspects were eligible for inclusion. In total, 221 titles were identified using four databases (Web of Science, SCOPUS, PubMed, CINHAL Plus) in July 2022. The final sample of 41 articles (comprising qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies), were quality assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data were extracted and analysed through directed content analysis. Market and government failures were widely reported to drive food bank use. Insufficiency, paternalism and particularism represented key limitations of the food bank model. Negative health and psychological impacts of food bank use were prominent, yet social impacts were largely positive. Consequently, new solutions are needed to promote positive health and psychological impacts for food bank clients in the UK. The application of these findings to other high-income countries experiencing food insecurity should be determined.

Use of AI in the UK Food System

Use of AI in the UK Food System

Estimating net energy requirements of male Djallonke sheep

Context Energy requirements in sheep can vary significantly due to various factors, including age, breed, sex and environmental conditions. Genetic selection and crossbreeding further contribute to this variability. Although guidelines from the US and UK national research councils are commonly used for formulating sheep diets, they may not adequately account for the unique characteristics of sheep in Africa. Aims The study aimed to estimate the net maintenance energy requirement of male Djallonke sheep. This estimation will provide a basis for comparing the energy requirements of Djallonke sheep with national recommendations and recent estimates for other sheep breeds. Methods Sixteen entire male Djallonke sheep were selected and grouped by weight. They were then randomly allocated to four treatment groups in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The sheep were fed to achieve intake levels ranging from 1 to 1.75 multiples of their maintenance energy requirement. Gas exchange data were collected using the GreenFeed system over a 3-day period at the conclusion of each treatment period. Heat production was calculated using the established Brouwer’s equation. A linear regression equation was developed to relate heat production to metabolisable energy intake scaled by metabolic bodyweight to calculate the net energy for maintenance. Key results The estimated net energy for maintenance for male Djallonke sheep was determined to be 0.354 MJ/kg BW0.75. This estimation indicated that the energy requirements of male Djallonke sheep exceeded the recommendations provided by the US National Research Council and the UK Agricultural and Food Research Council. However, it closely aligned with an updated estimate of 0.358 MJ/kg BW0.75. Conclusions Based on the study’s findings, male Djallonke sheep have higher energy requirements for maintenance than what is commonly recommended by existing guidelines. Therefore, it is advisable to update ration formulation software for male Djallonke sheep to better reflect their actual energy requirements for maintenance. Implications These results have practical implications for the formulation of diets and feeding management practices for male Djallonke sheep. Adhering to updated energy requirement estimates can help improve the efficiency and productivity of sheep production in the context of Djallonke sheep farming.

Impact of Climate Change on the UK Food System

Impact of Climate Change on the UK Food System

Assessing priorities for food systems transformation among UK alternative actors

Abstract Food systems actors are key enablers or barriers to transformation toward social and ecological sustainability. We mapped 1422 UK food system actors across different sub-sectors, scales, organisational levels, and specialisms. We then surveyed the priorities for transformation (n = 1190 text responses) among a cross-section of this group (n = 372) and conducted quantitative and qualitative thematic analysis. Of the 58 identified priorities, most frequent were those regarding agroecological, organic and regenerative production, the localisation of food systems, reducing animal sourced foods and dietary change, and addressing power relations. Less frequent were those related to technology and innovation. We highlight potential positive and negative outcomes of these priorities and compare results with England’s Food Strategy White Paper and recommendations from global food systems reports. We close by offering a concrete set of 15 priorities for food systems transformation to be taken forward by policy and practice.

Food for thought — Paving the way for a UK roadmap towards optimum consumer safety: Development, Endorsement and Regulatory acceptance of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in Chemical Risk Assessment and Beyond

Advances in biosciences, chemistry, technology, and computer sciences have resulted in the unparalleled development of candidate New Approach Methodologies over the last few years. Many of these are potentially invaluable in the safety assessment of chemicals, but very few have been adopted for regulatory decision making. There is an immediate opportunity to use NAMs in safety assessment where the vision is to be able to predict risk more rapidly, accurately, and efficiently to further assure consumer safety.In order to achieve this, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) have developed a roadmap towards acceptance and integration of these new approach methodologies into safety and risk assessments for regulatory decision making. The roadmap provides a UK blueprint for the transition of NAMs from the research laboratory to their use in regulatory decision making. This will require close collaboration across disciplines (chemists, toxicologists, informaticians, risk assessors and others), and across chemical sectors, to develop, verify and utilise appropriate models. Linking up internationally, and harmonization will be fundamental.

Overcoming Data Barriers: Strategies for New Entrants to Achieve Differentiation in the UK Food Retail Market

The UK food retail market is a highly competitive and mature sector dominated by established players with extensive consumer data at their disposal. New entrants face significant challenges in penetrating this market, particularly due to data barriers that limit their ability to compete on equal footing with incumbents. This paper explores strategies that new entrants can employ to achieve differentiated competition despite these barriers. The study examines the critical role of data in the market, analyzes how established players leverage data for competitive advantage, and proposes alternative approaches for new entrants to overcome data-related challenges. By leveraging niche markets, innovative products, alternative data sources, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, new entrants can build strong brand identities and offer unique value propositions. The paper also discusses regulatory considerations and data governance, emphasizing the importance of ethical data practices and advocacy for fair data access. Through a comprehensive analysis of these strategies, this paper provides actionable insights for new entrants seeking to establish a foothold in the UK food retail market.

Time trends in the epidemiology of food allergy in England: an observational analysis of Clinical Practice Research Datalink data

Estimates for the prevalence of food allergy vary widely, with a paucity of data for adults. The aim of this analysis was to report trends in the incidence and prevalence of food allergy in England, using a national primary care dataset. We analysed data from Clinical Practice Research Datalink between 1998 and 2018, with linked data to relevant hospital encounters in England. The main outcomes were incidence and prevalence of food allergy, according to three definitions of food allergy: possible food allergy, probable food allergy, and probable food allergy with adrenaline autoinjectors prescription. We also evaluated the difference in proportion of patients prescribed adrenaline autoinjectors by English Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), age, and by previous food anaphylaxis, and explored differences in patient encounters (general practice vs emergency department setting). 7 627 607 individuals in the dataset were eligible for inclusion, of whom 150 018 (median age 19 years [IQR 4-34]; 82 614 [55·1%] female and 67 404 [44·9%] male) had a possible food allergy. 121 706 met diagnostic criteria for probable food allergy, of whom 38 288 were prescribed adrenaline autoinjectors. Estimated incidence of probable food allergy doubled between 2008 and 2018, from 75·8 individuals per 100 000 person-years (95% CI 73·7-77·9) in 2008 to 159·5 (156·6-162·3) individuals per 100 000 person-years in 2018. Prevalence increased from 0·4% (23 399 of 6 432 383) to 1·1% (82 262 of 7 627 607) over the same period and was highest in children under 5 years (11 951 [4·0%] of 296 406 in 2018) with lower prevalence in school-aged children (from 11 353 [2·4%] of 473 597 in 2018 for children aged 5-9 years to 6896 [1·7%] of 404 525 for those aged 15-19 years) and adults (42 848 [0·7%] of 5 992 454 in 2018). In those with previous food anaphylaxis, only 2321 (58·3%) of 3980 (975 [64·0%] of 1524 children and young people and 1346 [54·8%] of 2456 adults) had a prescription for adrenaline autoinjector. Adrenaline autoinjectors prescription was less common in those resident in more deprived areas (according to IMD). In the analysis of health-care encounters, 488 604 (97·1%) of 503 198 visits recorded for food allergy occurred in primary care, with 115 655 (88·4%) of 130 832 patients managed exclusively in primary care. These estimates indicate an important and increasing burden of food allergy in England. Our findings that most patients with food allergy are managed outside the hospital system, with low rates of adrenaline autoinjector prescription in those with previous anaphylaxis, highlight a need to better support those working in primary care to ensure optimal management of patients with food allergy. UK Food Standards Agency and UK Medical Research Council.

What does 'co-production' look like for food system transformation? Mapping the evidence across Transforming UK Food Systems (TUKFS) projects.

Co-production is a collaborative way of working which emphasises the exchange of diverse forms of knowledge in an equal partnership for equal benefits. Co-produced research is a key strategic aim of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Transforming UK Food Systems (TUKFS) Strategic Priorities Fund; this research programme brings together researchers, policymakers, industry and communities to create positive change in the way food is produced, accessed and consumed. However, more generally, there are diverse understandings of co-production and a lack of consensus on what 'good practice' looks like. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and map examples of co-production methods employed across the TUKFS programme. Two creative workshops (n = 15 participants), conversations with TUKFS researchers and stakeholders (n = 15), and systematic analysis of project documents were used to critically explore co-production activities within six TUKFS projects. A range of co-production activities were identified. Findings highlighted areas of 'messiness' and complexity, challenges associated with applying co-production approaches and practical solutions. Four key shared principles for co-production were identified: (1) Relationships: developing and maintaining reciprocity-based partnerships; (2) Knowledge: recognising the contribution of diverse forms of expertise; (3) Power: considering power dynamics and addressing imbalances; and (4) Inclusivity: ensuring research is accessible to all who wish to participate. Opportunities for reflection and reflexivity were considered crucial across all these areas. Findings contribute important insights towards a shared conceptual understanding of co-production for food system transformation research. This paper makes recommendations for researchers, practitioners, academic institutions and funders working in this area of research and practice.

Body dissatisfaction and beyond: Investigating attitudes towards calorie labels on UK food menus

In 2022 the British government made calorie labels on menus a legal requirement to encourage healthier food choices while dining out. Yet, little research has explored perceptions of calorie labels on menus in the United Kingdom or tested whether there may be groups of people vulnerable to potential negative effects of calorie labels, such as those with body dissatisfaction. This between-subjects, convergent mixed-methods study addressed these enquiries. Participants were 562 adults who completed an online survey where hypothetical food orders were made from a menu. The study found that participants who viewed a menu with calorie labels ordered fewer calories. Quantitative results did not find that participants with higher levels of body dissatisfaction were at significantly greater odds of using calorie labels to order fewer calories. However, our qualitative (thematic) analysis revealed that experiences of calorie labels could be shaped by body image concerns. Themes further drew on how calorie labels were empowering, but there were also concerns about their oversimplicity. Findings are discussed in relation to implications for future calorie labelling policies. Given the inconsistent findings amongst the limited amount of literature investigating the role of body dissatisfaction in how calorie labels are used, future research is crucial. In the meantime, as a cautionary measure, clinicians involved in supporting individuals with body or food-related concerns should be aware of the challenges their clients may experience in facing calorie labels on menus when dining out.

The role of digital platforms in e-commerce food supply chain resilience under exogenous disruptions

PurposeOperational risks can cause considerable, atypical disturbances and impact food supply chain (SC) resilience. Indicatively, the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions in the UK food services as nationwide stockouts led to unprecedented discrepancies between retail and home-delivery supply capacity and demand. To this effect, this study aims to examine the emergence of digital platforms as an innovative instrument for food SC resilience in severe market disruptions.Design/methodology/approachAn interpretive multiple case-study approach was used to unravel how different generations of e-commerce food service providers, i.e. established and emergent, responded to the need for more resilient operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsSC disruption management for high-impact low-frequency events requires analysing four research elements: platformisation, structural variety, process flexibility and system resource efficiency. Established e-commerce food operators use partner onboarding and local waste valorisation to enhance resilience. Instead, emergent e-commerce food providers leverage localised rapid upscaling and product personalisation.Practical implicationsDigital food platforms offer a highly customisable, multisided digital marketplace wherein platform members may aggregate product offerings and customers, thus sharing value throughout the network. Platform-induced disintermediation allows bidirectional flows of data and information among SC partners, ensuring compliance and safety in the food retail sector.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the SC configuration and resilience literature by investigating the interrelationship among platformisation, structural variety, process flexibility and system resource efficiency for safe and resilient food provision within exogenously disrupted environments.

Exploring the perception of small and medium food enterprises in Lincolnshire, UK on the use of front‐of‐pack nutrition labels by consumers

SummaryThe food and drink industry is the UK's largest manufacturing sector, and small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) play a key role in the UK's food system. This study investigates food‐providing SMEs' knowledge of nutrition labels and perceptions of the use of front‐of‐pack nutrition labels in making informed and healthy food choices by consumers. The SMEs were based in Lincolnshire, UK, and comprised food manufacturers (75%), food retailers (14%) and food service providers (11%) (n = 35). A 25‐item questionnaire was developed and validated to collect responses. The questionnaire link was disseminated by email and completed online. Comparisons were made between competing answers using Cochran's Q tests, each with post‐hoc pairwise McNemar test comparisons. Confidence intervals were computed using ordinal regressions. More than half of the SMEs' products (58%) had UK traffic light (TL) colour‐coded schemes and % Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs). The SMEs stated that the TL label was the best format that provided ‘at‐a‐glance’ information, and this was significantly higher than %GDA and interpretative text (Ps < 0.003). Nearly 49% of the SMEs were unaware of the front‐of‐pack labels being not mandatory in the United Kingdom. Many (86%) acknowledged that the nutrition information on food products was helpful or very helpful for consumers in making purchasing decisions. The SMEs seemed to place the costs of implementing FOP labels on food products above their helpfulness in making healthier food decisions by consumers. This research is one of the first to investigate the perceptions of SMEs on how consumers utilise nutrition labels when making healthier food choices in the United Kingdom. Government subsidies on the costs incurred by incorporating TL labelling on the products are necessary in order to have front of pack (FOP) labels mandatory in the United Kingdom. Greater food industry involvement in academic and policy‐related research is essential to creating a healthier and more sustainable food environment.

Experiences of geophagy during pregnancy among African migrant women in London: Implications for public health interventions

This study explored African migrant women's clay ingestion experiences during pregnancy against a backdrop of health risks warnings in order, to inform public health interventions by the UK Food Standards Agency and Public Health England, now known as the UK Health Security Agency. An interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) was utilized, and data were collected with a total of 30 participants through individual in-depth interviews and one focus group discussion. Findings showed clay ingestion is a fluid and widely accepted cultural practice among African communities with most participants having been socialized into ingestion during childhood, through family influences and current social networks in their adulthood. Vomiting, nausea, spitting, appetite challenges, and cravings were cited as the main reasons for clay ingestion during pregnancy. With strong claims regarding its effectiveness, clay was ingested every day by most participants, and at times in large quantities despite the potential health risks. This calls for innovative and culturally sensitive public health interventions starting with the inclusion of clay ingestion health risk messages in maternal health nutrition information within antenatal settings. This can be done as part of multilevel interventions informed by life course approaches, which also consider community health messages and an enabling regulatory policy framework focusing on clay sold for human ingestion.

Updating ‘stockpiling as resilience’ in the context of the cost-of-living crisis: tracking changes in resilience strategies in the U.K

ABSTRACT Using the seven resilience strategies identified in the previous paper entitled “Stockpiling as Resilience,” this study offers an update on the previous study 1 year later with interviews with the same households. The first paper was the result of interviews with 19 households held between April and May 2020 across the UK, and explored how these households managed lack of access to food during the COVID-19 lockdowns. This paper presents the same participants’ experiences following the UK lockdowns in the context of the sharp rise in the cost-of-living in the UK Taken together, both phases of interviews bring into clear relief the influences affecting the UK food system, one characterized by increasing inaccessibility of food. This follow-up paper establishes that four of seven resilience strategies are still actively used, whereas three have become unnecessary. Two further themes are made salient in the interview data: weight management and convenience. Overall, this paper acts as a preliminary investigation into strategies that households are likely to utilize in the coming months and years in the context of the cost-of-living crisis.

Urban poverty and the role of UK food aid organisations in enabling segregating and transitioning spaces of food access

This research examines the role of food aid providers, including their spatial engagement, in seeking to alleviate urban food poverty. Current levels of urban poverty across the UK have resulted in an unprecedented demand for food aid. Yet, urban poverty responsibility increasingly shifts away from policymakers to the third sector. Building on Castilhos and Dolbec’s notion of segregating space and original qualitative research with food aid organisations, we show how social supermarkets emerge as offering a type of transitional space between the segregating spaces of foodbanks and the market spaces of mainstream food retailers. This research contributes to existing literature by establishing the concept of transitional space, an additional type of space that facilitates movement between types of spaces and particularly transitions from the segregating spaces of emergency food aid to more secure spaces of food access. In so doing, this research extends Castilhos and Dolbec’s typology of spaces, enabling a more nuanced depiction of the spatiality of urban food poverty.

UK and Global Food Security in the Era Of ‘Permacrisis’

The UK’s food security is currently dependent on complex international supply chains that are under threat from climate change, conflicts and geopolitical stressors; at the same time, climate change and the repercussions of Brexit challenge the UK’s ability to increase self-reliance and internal resilience. Jennifer Cole and Ivica Petrikova examine the key drivers and pressures on global food security and how this is likely to be impacted in the near- and mid-term future, including by shifting geopolitical alliances.■

Structure and meaning in strategic paradoxes: Exploring historical context in the emergence of agrifood standards

This paper uses a historical case study of the emergence of a set of agrifood standards to explore the historical development of strategic paradoxes. The paper demonstrates the value of historical methodologies of ‘zooming in and out’ for understanding the contexts in which paradoxical organisational structures develop over time. We explore the evolution of a significant strategic paradox, showing how changing relations between UK poultry producers and food retailers led to the emergence of a fundamental innovation in agrifood standards. The paper contributes to paradox theory by developing a historically rooted analysis of how context—which we theorise as simultaneously structurally determinative and cognitively malleable—can explain why organisational actors come to ‘live with’ a paradoxical dynamic equilibrium in which dialectical power relations remain embedded.

What constitutes food system resilience? The importance of divergent framings between UK mainstream and local food system actors

PurposeThis paper examines how key actors in the UK food system (FS) understand the role of the local food sector in relation to FS resilience.Design/methodology/approachDiscourse analysis was used to assess and compare the framings of the UK FS in 36 publications released during Covid-19 from alternative food networks (AFNs) actors and from other more mainstream FS actors, including the UK government.FindingsThe analysis shows that AFNs actors perceive the UK FS as not resilient and identify local FSs as a route towards greater resilience (“systemic” framing). In contrast, other food actors perceive the UK FS as already resilient, with the role of local food limited to specific functions within the existing system (“add-on” framing). The two groups converge on the importance of dynamic public procurement and local abattoir provision, but this convergence does not undermine the fundamental divergence in the understanding of the role of “the local” in resilient UK FSs. The local food sector’s messages appear to have gone largely unheard in mainstream policy.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper presents an analysis of public sector reports focused on the UK FS released during the Covid-19 pandemic years 2020–2021. The corpus inclusion criteria mean that publications during this period which focus on other food sector issues, such social injustices, climate change and health, were not included in the analysis, although they may have touched upon local food issues. The authors further recognise that Covid-19 had a longer lasting effect on FSs than the years 2020–2021, and that many other publications on FSs have been published since. The time span chosen targets the time at which FSs were most disrupted and therefore aims to capture emerging issues and solutions for the UK FS. The authors’ insights should be further validated through a more complete review of both public reports and academic papers covering a wider base of food-related issues and sectors as well as a broader timespan.Originality/valueA comparison of how different FS actors understand the importance of local food, especially in relation to resilience, has not been undertaken to date. The findings raise important questions about the disconnect between AFN actors and other actors in the framing of resilience. Considering the need to ensure resilience of the UK FS, this study's findings raise important insights for UK food policy about the “local food blindspot” and for food movement actors wishing to progress their vision of transformative change.