Supermarket Practices Under Scrutiny Over Antibiotic Use

  • UK supermarkets not doing enough to ensure responsible antibiotic use in farming
  • New report reveals gaps in implementation of UK regulations
  • Marks & Spencer and Tesco receive mixed results, Iceland disputes findings
  • ASOA ranks grocers based on criteria such as targets and policies for necessary antibiotic use

A new report by the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics (ASOA) has revealed that UK supermarkets are not doing enough to ensure their suppliers use antibiotics responsibly, despite recent regulations aimed at limiting their use in farming. The report ranks grocers based on criteria such as targets for reducing antibiotic use and policies ensuring they’re only used when necessary. Most supermarket policies cover own-brand products, with no retailers providing full data on antibiotic use by each farm supplier. Marks & Spencer received 10 green ticks out of 12 and two ambers, while Tesco and Waitrose failed to disclose their antibiotic usage. Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Co-op, and Iceland were also investigated.

Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate and relevant information about the report by Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics on supermarkets’ practices regarding antibiotic use in farming. It mentions the ranking of different supermarkets based on their policies and practices, and includes a statement from ASOA policy manager Cóilín Nunan. However, it could have included more information about the specific criteria used for the rankings and the methodology behind the research.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about UK supermarkets and their approach to antibiotic use in farming, with a focus on specific companies and their policies. It also includes data from the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics report. However, it briefly mentions Frasers Group’s department store rollout at the end which is unrelated to the main topic.
Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: The report impacts the reputation and practices of UK supermarkets, which can affect their sales and consumer trust.
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses a report on the responsible use of antibiotics in farming by UK supermarkets, which can impact consumer choices and potentially affect the financial performance of these companies.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: Other
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: Minor
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no extreme event mentioned in the article. The article discusses the issue of responsible use of antibiotics in farming and supermarkets’ policies, but it does not describe an extreme event happening within the last 48 hours.

Reported publicly: www.retailgazette.co.uk