Author: Sam Allcock

Artificial intelligence is moving from the technology lab onto the factory floor, but the reality of AI in UK food manufacturing is more practical — and less dramatic — than many headlines suggest. Food manufacturers are using AI to analyse production data, monitor machinery, support quality control, improve forecasting, reduce waste and make operational decisions faster. At the same time, many businesses are still working out how to connect AI to older equipment, fragmented data and existing manufacturing systems. That matters because food and drink manufacturing is one of Britain’s largest industrial sectors. Defra data puts the sector’s gross value…

Britain’s food supply is built on two systems working together: domestic farming and international trade. The latest UK government data shows that domestic production represented 60% of the UK’s food production-to-supply ratio in 2025, while the ratio for foods that can be commercially produced in Britain was 72%. But those figures do not mean that exactly 40% of the food on British plates is imported. The UK’s food supply is more complicated. Britain produces large amounts of cereals, meat, dairy and eggs, while relying much more heavily on overseas suppliers for fruit, vegetables and some other foods. That means the…

The World Avocado Organisation reveals why fibre is moving beyond digestive health and into the nutrition spotlight, and why the answer to getting more could be as simple as adding avocados to our plates London, 23 September 2026 – Protein has become a major focus in nutritional advice and everyday food choices, with growing awareness of how important it is across different stages of your day and moments of life, from supporting muscle health to recovery and helping with fullness to so many other aspects. Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner, pre or post-workout meals, protein has become a nutrient…

UK food prices are still rising in 2026, but the picture is far more uneven than the headline inflation rate suggests. The latest Office for National Statistics data shows food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation at 1.3% in August 2026, unchanged from July. Food prices nevertheless increased by 0.4% during August alone. Supermarket-level data tells a different part of the story. Which?’s latest tracker recorded 2.4% annual supermarket food inflation across the three months to the end of August, while individual categories such as fish were rising much faster. At the same time, the Food & Drink Federation expects food and…

The Food Standards Agency is moving towards greater use of artificial intelligence in UK food safety, with a target to pilot AI-enabled tools in priority official controls, audits and food-incident management by September 2026. The planned approach could help the regulator identify emerging risks earlier, analyse intelligence more efficiently and respond to food incidents more quickly. The FSA has also set a target of introducing AI-assisted workflows for incident, inspection and intelligence data by December 2026. For food businesses, the development could mean more data-driven regulatory oversight. For consumers, the intended outcome is faster identification and management of food safety…

A phone can feel incredibly fast for five minutes. The tricky part is what will happen an hour into playing, recording video, AI processing, navigation, and running various background tasks. This is where the true nature of a smartphone processor reveals itself. The Tensor G6 by Google does not follow the same philosophy as processors whose main purpose is to achieve high benchmark results. Instead, it emphasizes AI and energy efficiency, but also introduces important improvements in terms of CPUs compared to its predecessor. However, once the workload increases, there is a close connection between performance, heat, and battery usage.…

In today’s connected world, our phones, emails, social media updates, and work alerts will always be competing for our attention from morning till night. While it is true that technology keeps us all connected and updated, the fact is that being connected all the time is a problem when one needs to concentrate, look for peace, or live in the moment. That’s why developing the ability to disconnect is turning out to be one of the most effective superpowers of the modern age. Intentional breaks from digital distractions will help us see things more clearly, carry out our work far…

Food and drink plants use chemicals for a good reason. Detergents, disinfectants, descalers and other products help keep equipment and production areas hygienic. A chemical chosen to control one type of risk can introduce another if it is stored, diluted or applied badly. Safe chemical handling in food manufacturing therefore has two jobs. Safe chemical handling needs to support hygiene without exposing workers to unnecessary harm. Know What Is Actually Being Used A chemical inventory sounds basic, but it is difficult to control substances properly if the site does not have a clear picture of what is present, where it…

Protein has become one of the biggest food trends in UK supermarkets, with shoppers increasingly looking beyond traditional sports-nutrition products and towards everyday foods such as eggs, chicken, fish, yoghurt, cottage cheese, beans and lentils. Supermarkets are responding. Sainsbury’s has launched a dedicated high-protein range, Aldi has expanded its protein-focused products, Lidl maintains a dedicated high-protein range, Tesco stocks high-protein products across multiple grocery categories and Waitrose has now introduced dedicated wellbeing bays covering protein and other health-focused products. But does a product labelled “high protein” automatically make it a healthy choice? Not necessarily. The best high-protein foods for a…

Plant-based food continues to evolve, but the latest launches suggest the category is moving beyond the traditional focus on meat substitutes. This week has brought a notable UK launch from Plenish, alongside new plant-based products announced in the United States and Switzerland. Protein, convenience, shorter ingredient lists and familiar food formats are prominent themes across the new products. For UK shoppers, the most important launch is Plenish Clean Protein Oat Drink, which has entered selected Tesco stores and is also being sold online. Here is what has launched, where the products are available and what the latest market data says…