"Sainsburys" news and stories

As the ongoing recession/inflation/credit crunch drives the cost of food higher and higher, British chain Sainsbury's has begun working to minimize food wastage. Meanwhile, ever-increasing numbers of consumers are cooking from scratch in an attempt to stretch their food budgets. Clearly, thrift is back!

As you rush around in your search for cheap things to eat, it's worth remembering that, in the kitchen at least, poverty can definitely be the mother of invention. Although cheap gas, greenhouse gardening, and factory farming drove down the price of food for most of the last century, the vast majority of human history has been characterized by the desperate search for sustenance. Keeping that in mind, here's a reminder about a few of the techniques that long-gone chefs once developed to preserve the harvest, get their vitamins, and avoid throwing anything away:

Organ meats: In the days before easy canning and greenhouse gardening, it was incredibly difficult to get the necessary daily allowance of vitamins. Lacking access to fresh fruits and vegetables, medieval farmers turned to organ meats. For example, rich in iron and Vitamin A, the liver was a dietary staple for generations. Similarly, kidneys, sweetbreads, and brains are also great sources of necessary vitamins. Much later, immigrants and the lower classes continued to eat these organs, as they were healthy and relatively inexpensive.

In light of the usual not-in-my-town stories of supermarkets opening, it is "refreshing" to see a story about one town who is welcoming a new store.

Since the closure of Morrison's in London's Gypsy Hill, local traders say that visitor numbers dropped considerably and they launched a campaign to attract one of the big chains to open. Waitrose was their initial choice (which shows the area has a certain level of affluence) but the store declined, leaving the way open for Sainsburys. Even the local deli is welcoming the opening despite estimates of loosing £300-£400 in sales a day.

Sainsbury's expects some 4,000 customers to visit its store each week, and local shop-keepers expect a trickle-down effect. As one shop owner said if only 1% of these people visit his store that is an extra 40 customers a week.

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UK supermarket Sainsbury's is taking action on trans fats and flavour enhancers by removing them from its own-label processed food and drinks.

The chain plans to phase out the additives - it has 15,000 own-brand lines - by the end of next January. Trans-fats are of coursed linked to to increased cholesterol levels and a greater risk of coronary heart disease. Tesco is a little ahead in aiming for a similar removal by the end of the year. Marks & Spencer has already stopped using hydrogenated vegetable oils – the base for trans fats –in its food production.

Trans fats have received a lot of attention in the UK of late. While they occur naturally in some meat and dairy products their main source is manufactured foods. Health representatives are calling for proper labeling highlighting them in foods such as margarine, chips, biscuits and so on.

High levels are found in KFC Colonel's regular crispy strips and fries (4.4g/portion), McDonald's McNuggets and regular fries (3g), Saxby's fresh ready rolled short pastry (2.5g), Burger King Whopper and regular fries (2.3g) and Sainsbury's puff pastry minced beef & onion pie (1.8g)

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Now this is interesting. Following the introduction of health warnings on the front of food packaging by major UK supermarkets, sales of certain products fell. In some cases, the drop was quite dramatic.

Today's Sunday Times reports that within two months of Tesco's introduction of nutrition labels, sales of Prawn Mayonnaise sandwiches have fallen 26%-37% over the past year. Sainsburys says that sales of Chicken Madras have fallen 40% since it began its labelling scheme 15 months ago. Similar declines were reported for Sainsbury's other ready meals.

While the government's Food Standard Agency has been trying to introduce a "traffic light" nutrition labelling program since 2004, individual supermarkets' efforts are having an immediate effect on customers' purchasing habits.

Other indications show that consumers are heeding the various warnings. Sales of Salmon en Croute fell by more than a third; that's unsurprising when you read that a package contains 91% of the daily recommendaded saturated fat intake. Croissant sales fell by 8%. In comparison, sales of low-fat, low-salt egg and cress sandwiches doubled.

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The Telegraph and Sainsbury's have agreed, that following last years success with the Taste of Britian Awards, they are going to hold another event this year.

With the support of the Prince of Wales the awards give recognition to enterprise and innovation. Last years winners "displayed the courage to step out from behind the protective shield of run-of-the-mill, sure-fire commercial success to produce food and drink that was exotic yet gave more than a nod to the great traditions of British food".

The force of local British food seems unstoppable at the moment and these awards are a great way to encourage its continued development and raise awarness of all things British.

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