Speaking exclusively to Wayne Anderson, Director of Food Science and Standards at Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), we explore the prevailing challenges impacting food safety in Europe and the enforcement of EU-wide food safety law. For the FSAI, there is the perceived consumer desire for authorities and public bodies that enforce the food law do so in a way that protects consumer health and is “not in any way compromised by dealings with the food industry”​. As a result, consumer awaren

The UK free-from market is estimated to have hit the £837 million mark in 2018; representing total sales growth of a staggering 133% between 2013-2018. As such, consumers demand assurance, trust and reliability in the product selections they make based on their allergen requirements. Emma Clifford, Associate Director of Food and Drink at Mintel, emphasises how there have been calls for the government to impose changes relating to allergen labelling. After the recent death of Natasha Ednan-Lape

What ITaaS Means For Your Business? There was a day when technology wasn’t an essential component of business life. You could get by with the basics, or with nothing at all if you were really resourceful. But now that technology has evolved, it’s increasingly become a vital part of running a successful business. From a to larger SME, to global conglomerate, businesses of any size require a whole host of technology solutions. They’re vital to communicate with clients, fulfil work orders and eve

'Myth#4: Customers must experience new products before they can say how much they’ll pay for it'​ Sampling is big in beauty and personal care. • Can brands garner attention, build sales, trust and loyalty, both with or without this approach, and what impact does it have on a brand’s value?​ Critically, it can be argued that if we only create items where there is a demand, then radical innovation will not flourish as consumers do not desire or require these game-changing products and services a

Situated in Seoul, the capital will house the innovation centre, which has been set up to solely concentrate on the development and formulation of colour cosmetics. Located at its head office and strategic location, DKSH also hopes that the facility will boost its position as a strategic partner for personal care innovation and formulation. The facility, which contains a range of high-end equipment, is the company’s first to specialise in all areas of colour cosmetics, specifically catering to

Sun Chlorella, as the name suggests, utilises chlorella, a form of freshwater algae in its range of beauty items. After seeing a surge the natural and organic trend, inspired by the popularity of healthy superfoods, Sun Chlorella has moved beyond its domestic market to launch in the UK. In support of the Asianification trend, the Japanese niche name has demonstrated the formidability of Asian-based beauty trends around the globe. Sun Chlorella’s beauty range will be housed in London, UK, in th

The partnership, which takes effect immediately, will see Azelis distribute silicone innovator Momentive’s specialities for the personal care market in Australia. Through utilising its high-performance ingredients range, Azelis strives to provide Australian personal care consumers with increased access to, and enhanced applications in a wide collection of items including “silkier lotions, drier antiperspirants, more spreadable sunscreens, brighter and smoother cosmetics”,​ the company commented

On 22 February 2018, the tastes and scents creator announced it is working alongside sustainable economic growth and non-governmental promoters, Swisscontact, to build upon its sustainable patchouli oil sourcing. The efforts, which are funded by the Givaudan Foundation, will also strive to improve the conditions for smallholder producers communities on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia through a multi-year project that will look to preserve natural resources. Since 2013, UK-based Givaudan ha

Leading IT Trends Transforming The Industry In 2019 I know what you’re thinking. Every year the tech bods roll out hundreds of new predictions for what’s going to be hot in the coming 12 months. Sometimes those predictions are bang on the money, like the 2016 predictions of adaptive securities, the development of the Internet of Things and the rise of robotics and AI. So now that we have another New Year ahead of us, the predictions are rushing in thick and fast. Experts everywhere are trying

What to Include in your IT Strategy in 2019 As we reach the end of another calendar year, business owners are reflecting on their performance in 2018. While you’re analysing your sales stats and marketing spend from the last 12 months, we want to ask you something. How did your IT perform for you this year? Was it a hindrance, or a help? Did it blend seamlessly into the background, helping you run your businesses without you even realising it was there? Or was it something difficult that creat

The Paperless Office: Why it’s Good for the Environment and your Business For a long time now, businesses across the country have been discovering the benefits of the paperless office. The concept was slow to catch on initially, but as the benefits have now become well-known, businesses are looking for ways to get rid of the humble paper page once and for all. And we couldn’t be happier. If you’ve never heard of it before, the idea is simple. Instead of using paper in your office, you use digi

What does a comprehensive cloud service look like? When it comes to IT, there are a lot of different options out there. But one thing that most people seem to agree on is that cloud computing is the way forward. From accounting to delivering services, thousands of businesses are moving to a complete cloud solution. For the first time user moving into the cloud, it can be difficult to know what you need, and what the best options are. So we’ve put together a beginner’s guide to cloud services.

How a cyber security policy can keep hackers at bay As businesses, we need to be ever-vigilant to ensure we’re one step ahead of cyber threats and secure our data, technology, and networks from increasing threats. A cyber security policy can provide a comprehensive and proactive response to threats of this nature that can be shared with your entire team. Digital technology is open, and that openness brings risk The UK is recognised as one of the world’s leading digital nations, and so with th

Is remote working right for your business? Remote working, flextime, career breaks and zero-hours contracts are all types of popular flexible working methods. Remote work, however, appears to be disrupting the office 9-to-5 grind more than any other type of flexible working. We investigate why and what the benefits and downsides are to employers and staff. The number of people working outside of the ‘traditional office’ environment has hit an all-time high. A recent survey shows that 75% of em

Does your business need encryption? You only have to do a quick search to find numerous examples of high profile data theft incidents. But those are just the cases hitting the headlines because of the notoriety of the victims or perpetrators. Every day, businesses from every walk of life face loss of integrity and the financial implications caused by unauthorised access to their systems and databases. However, weighing up available options and taking simple steps to make the most of the many

How best to handle documents in light of GDPR To remain competitive and GDPR compliant in this digital age, every business must not only observe what others are doing but also take action. A key part of this is to embrace digital technology when handling our customers’ personal documentation. Even prior to GDPR, we have watched and relied on pioneering firms to find new ways to embrace the tools of digital transformation and document storage through the cloud, mobile, big data or collaboration

What does information technology look like in 2018? With the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and the rate of development in the UK growing at a rapid pace, we take a snapshot look at the information technology (IT) industry. There is a sense of excitement when looking beyond 2018 to a future that seems to hold no binds in the IT world. Possibilities continue to grow, from innovations that fast become reality, to enhanced education programmes and increased employment opp

It’s not long until implementation comes into force so we’ve put together the GDPR need-to-knows to make sure you and your business are ready. If you haven’t started preparing, it’s not too late, you still have time if you make a plan, action it and incorporate data protection as a fundamental part of your business strategy. With this said, there’s no reason to get overwhelmed by the rules and regulations. Instead, consider too the many benefits that can come along with compliance, for you and

How to create simplicity in telecoms Far from exercising simplicity, in recent years it has been apparent that telecom operators’ business models, offers, networks and systems are nothing short of complex. A mix of the surge of complexity, the very nature of the mobile industry and current business trends have all been impacting cost efficiencies, solution launches and customer service. The industry was evolving at an incredibly fast pace with technology upgrades every five to ten years, whic

Do you know the tell-tale signs of a copycat website? In recent years, copycat websites have increasingly appeared. These tend to mimic the overall look and feel, including the logo and branding, of the official website they are copying. These websites are designed to retrieve money by offering ‘free trials’ and charging a fee to process or renew official documents that would otherwise be free with their official counterparts. And as we’ve seen from the sheer volume of such sites cropping up, t