Latest news with #KarenBetts
Wales Online
16-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Major change to salt and sugar levels in UK food
Major change to salt and sugar levels in UK food Food manufactuirers are calling for a change in the rules Food has got healthier but manufacturers want the rules changed Food firms have cut salt and sugar levels in their products by nearly a third over the past decade, according to a report. But UK manufacturers across the sector are calling for more funding and 'bold action' to help drive further innovation in healthy eating. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said research by Kantar Worldpanel showed products made by its members have 31% less salt, 30% less sugar and a quarter fewer calories than they did 10 years ago. The group – whose members make a quarter of all food and drink sold in the UK – said the progress comes after years of investment by the industry, including around £180 million in healthier product innovation in 2024 alone. But the FDF said rising cost and regulation pressures are putting this investment under pressure, with a recent survey of its members showing 41% are planning to scale back spend on this as a result. It wants extra funding support and is urging the Government to take 'bold, co-ordinated action across the whole food system' to help with the shift towards healthier food. 'This includes mandatory reporting on the sales of healthier and less healthy products across manufacturing, retail and hospitality,' the FDF said. It also means taking a more consistent approach to health policy across the entire food chain, ensuring consumers have access to the same clear information that helps them to make healthier choices, no matter where they're eating,' it added. As well as funding for research and development and science support to the food sector, it believes the Government should help smaller firms more, with a similar scheme to the Scottish Government's Reformulation for Health programme. Efforts so far by the industry have included changing recipes and portion sizes. Article continues below Some manufacturers have added extra portions of vegetables, while others have invested in new machinery to make changes to the cooking process and recipe. Karen Betts, chief executive of the FDF, said: 'Companies have made major progress in slashing the calories, salt and sugar in everyday food and drink – making the food people love better for them, alongside hugely expanding the range of healthy options. 'But tackling poor diets and lifestyles is a complex issue and needs a more joined-up approach. We're calling on the Government today to work in a more structured partnership with the entire food industry to deliver change.' She added that 'holistic and co-ordinated action will help us truly move the needle on this critical health challenge'. Article continues below A government spokesperson said: 'As part of this government's Plan for Change, we are committed to achieving our health mission to build an NHS fit for the future, which includes shifting from sickness to prevention. We are working closely with the food industry to improve people's diets and reduce levels of obesity and have already restricted junk food advertising on TV and online as well as limiting school children's access to fast food outlets. 'Making healthier choices easier is a major part of creating a food environment that is fairer, with the fewest lives lost to the biggest killers and where everyone lives well for longer.'
Cosmopolitan
19-05-2025
- Health
- Cosmopolitan
Microblading aftercare tips: The worst things you can do during the healing phase
When it comes to in-clinic treatments we all know that there is always aftercare advice to follow, but let's be honest, we can slip up at times. We aren't perfect and sometimes a hot shower after trudging through the city post-appointment is inviting, am I right? Well, as tempting as it feels to toss away your aftercare leaflet, how well you look after your treated area when you leave your appointment is directly linked to how long your treatment lasts and, for skin-specific treatments, how quickly you heal. Summer's an especially tough time to get in-clinic treatments as there are a lot of potential hazards to avoid; with sweaty weather, sun exposure and potential pool dips all at play. Microblading is a treatment that aftercare is intrinsically linked to outcome so we spoke to expert Karen Betts, to reveal her top tips for maintaining perfect brows post-appointment, the worst thing you can do to freshly-microbladed brows and how to avoid aftercare regrets. "Proper aftercare is crucial to ensure optimal healing and long-lasting results from microblading," says Betts. The 7–10 days after treatment are the delicate 'healing phase', so here's her tips for getting through that initial phase... 'The most detrimental action is picking or scratching at the brows during the healing phase,' says Betts. 'This can remove pigment, cause patchiness, delay healing, and even risk scarring. Additionally, neglecting aftercare instructions, such as exposing the brows to excessive moisture or sun, can compromise the results.' Karen Betts one of the UK's leading authority on permanent makeup. She is the founder of Karen Betts clinics in London's Mayfair, Cheshire and Yorkshire Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
The Guardian
26-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Confidence plummeting among UK food and drink manufacturers, survey shows
Confidence is tumbling among Britain's food and drink manufacturers, as inflationary pressures including energy, labour and raw material costs gain pace, according to a survey by the industry body. Business confidence plummeted to -47% in the final three months of last year, according to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), down from -6% in the previous quarter, as companies in the sector were hit by measures announced in the October budget. The confidence score among the country's 12,500 food and drink businesses has slid to its lowest level since the final quarter of 2022, a time when inflation was surging after Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier in that year. Rising energy and commodity costs are among the pressures facing food and drink manufacturers in the coming year, according to the FDF's state of industry report, as well the costs associated with government policies, such as changes to employers' national insurance contributions (NICs). Food and drink businesses are also due to carry the lion's share of new packaging rules known as the extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme – designed to improve recycling rates and tackle plastic pollution – estimated to cost at least £1.4bn a year from October. The FDF said the financial pressures weighing on confidence were causing businesses to reconsider investment, which could affect growth in the industry. More than half (54%) of the businesses that responded to the FDF's survey said taxation was the leading factor that would constrain investment over the coming year, while 52% said forthcoming regulation would act as a barrier to investment. As higher labour costs bite, almost two-thirds (64%) of manufacturers said their main motivation for investment was workforce efficiency, as they aimed to increase productivity from their current employees rather than hiring more staff. 'This marked decline in business confidence shows that government and industry needs to take action now to ensure we have a thriving, productive food and drink industry into the future,' said Karen Betts, the FDF's chief executive. 'With pressures on industry mounting, government must act to remove the roadblocks and accelerate growth.' The FDF is calling on the government to work with industry on regulation to boost growth and the competitiveness of the UK's food and drink sector. It is recommending a range of measures, including securing a share of the UK's research and development spend for food and drink manufacturing to encourage businesses to invest in developing new products and healthier choices for consumers. It is also calling for government and industry to work together on a workforce and skills plan and for ministers to prioritise a more strategic approach to trade relations with the EU, which despite Brexit remains the sector's most important trading partner.
