Lao Gan Ma's chilli crisp, featuring the "old godmother" Tao Huabi, has become a UK supermarket staple and social media sensation. Its spicy, crunchy, umami flavour is inspiring a cottage industry of independent producers in Britain, who are innovating with diverse ingredients and flavours.
Lidl, a German supermarket chain, is rapidly expanding in the UK, opening new stores and investing heavily. It has become the fifth-largest chain, surpassing Morrisons, with a market share of 8.6%. Its sales grew by 8.8% in the year ending February 2025.
Readers discuss the security benefits and drawbacks of passkeys, with some finding them confusing and others championing them as a superior alternative to passwords.
Duck blood is a popular food in China, known for its smooth texture and rich iron content. Despite its affordability, concerns about its authenticity and safety are common. This article clarifies how duck blood is made, explains the difference between smooth and porous textures, and debunks myths about it being "blood waste," capable of "clearing the lungs," or being a cure for anemia.
Japan's food sector is experiencing severe shortages of plastic bags, trays, and gloves due to dwindling naphtha supplies from the Middle East. This has led to price hikes, customer incentives for reusable items, and government pressure.
Global food production faces significant disruption from the Iran war and El Niño, threatening UK food security. Experts warn the UK's reliance on global markets and its vulnerable domestic system require an overhaul to ensure resilience against climate change and geopolitical shocks.
Marks & Spencer CEO Stuart Machin slammed a government proposal for voluntary food price caps as 'preposterous', urging tax and regulatory relief instead. He cited increased costs from new levies and global conflict impacting M&S's profits, which fell nearly 24% last year due to a cyber-attack.
UK government ministers are urging supermarkets to voluntarily freeze prices on essential groceries like eggs, bread, and milk. However, they will not impose mandatory price caps, a proposal met with strong criticism from industry figures who warn of unintended consequences and forced losses.
The UK government is reportedly urging supermarkets to voluntarily limit price rises on key groceries in exchange for eased regulations. Retail industry sources suggest the plan, which the British Retail Consortium calls "1970s style price controls" and warns would force retailers to sell at a loss, aims to help families with costs.
UK supermarkets have rejected a government proposal to freeze prices on essential foodstuffs, citing rising costs and potential negative impacts on shoppers. The Scottish National Party has also proposed price controls on 20-50 items.
A viral TikTok video sparked debate on dogs in public spaces in the UK. While some see increased dog-friendliness as positive, others cite hygiene, safety, and impact on assistance dogs as concerns.
Live facial recognition technology is being used to fight crime, but raises concerns about surveillance and accuracy.
Many facing economic pressures and frustrations have begun shopping at budget grocery stores and warehouse clubs in lieu of traditional supermarkets, with priorities shifting in pursuit of good deals.
Many facing economic pressures and frustrations have begun shopping at budget grocery stores and warehouse clubs in lieu of traditional supermarkets, with priorities shifting in pursuit of good deals.
Hong Kong’s smaller grocers are bracing for pressure amid a fresh wave of price cuts by supermarkets and big retail chains, but some economists say their “neighbourhood connection” could help them stay afloat. A lawmaker also said it was unlikely the big local chains would monopolise the market citing strong competition from online shopping platforms. The latest price war erupted ahead of Mother’s Day on Sunday, with CK Hutchison-backed ParknShop and Jardine Matheson’s Wellcome each offering 12...
The group’s latest triumph won over the Department for Business and Trade, now it is eyeing private care providers and supermarketsA paragon of the kind of people-powered progress that feels all the more necessary in divisive times, the Living Wage campaign, is celebrating its25th anniversary this year.Born out of Telco (The East London Citizens’ Organisation), which ultimately became the nationwide group Citizens UK, the campaign has always involved communities working together, to press for social and economic change. Continue reading...
Hongkongers packed the aisles of supermarkets with carts full of daily necessities as the city’s major grocery chains engaged in what some were calling a “price war” ahead of Mother’s Day. Hong Kong’s two major supermarket chains, CK Hutchison Holdings-backed ParknShop and Jardine Matheson’s Wellcome, each offered 12 per cent off everything in their stores for those who bought a certain amount of goods on Saturday. HKTVmall, the city’s popular online shopping platform, entered the fray and...
Supermarkets used to competing on price are now in a dispute over an expansion loophole.
As the price of food and agricultural production goes up during the Iran conflict, supermarkets are being urged to absorb more of the cost.
One year ago, Spain and Portugal experienced Europe's first major 'system black' event in recent memory, causing widespread disruption across infrastructure. Initial media reports blamed renewables, but ENTSO-E's final report identified voltage governance failures as the cause. Despite criticism, Spain has accelerated its renewable transition, adding 13.8 GW of new solar in 2025 – a record year. Spain's March 2026 electricity prices (€43/MWh) are now the third lowest in Europe, protecting consumers from gas price spikes that have otherwise gripped the continent.
Police say poison detected in jar of HiPP carrots and potatoes as maker says items may have been tampered withRat poison has been found in a jar of HiPP baby food, police in Austria have said, after a recall of the product from more than 1,000 Spar supermarkets in the country over safety fears.Police in Burgenland said in a statement that a sample from one of the 190g (7oz) jars of carrots and potatoes baby food reported by a customer had tested positive for rat poison. Continue reading...
