BRIEFING: Review of the year: Issues the food industry faced in 2006

The past year has seen a further ramping up of pressure on the food industry to embrace and project a socially responsible outlook, and the level of public and political scrutiny of the food industry has never been greater. Whether with regard to children’s food, ethical trading, the composition of food products, sustainable agriculture, obesity or labelling, food producers have had to respond to pressure from campaigners and politicians alike. This briefing looks at a selection of key issues facing food producers during the past year, examining how these debates have progressed, how food companies, both individually and as an industry, have sought to respond to criticism and engage proactively in tackling the problems, and how matters are likely to develop in 2007.