Chicken injected with pork and beef proteins

The bovine and porcine powders allow the chicken to hold more water, bulking up the meat and allowing manufacturers to sell it at a higher price.

The FSA detected the swindle using new scientific techniques that saw the non-chicken material pass standard DNA tests.

In the report, the FSA said: “Use of these proteins does not make chicken products unsafe, but it is important that people are given accurate information about their food.”

WARNING

Britain’s two million Jews, Hindus and Muslims may have unwittingly eaten either pork or beef, meats that they are forbidden from eating.

Bharti Tailor, Secretary General of the Hindu Forum of Britain, described the findings as “shocking” and “potentially very distressing for the Hindu community”.

The fraud is still believed to be taking place in three EU states, including Germany, Netherlands and Spain due to inaction by the authorities.

Manufacturers are legally allowed to pump water into chicken but must declare if the level goes above 5 percent. Water above that amount will usually leak out unless held in by hydrolysed proteins.

The FSA has warned that consumers who do not eat pork or beef may want to avoid chicken that contains hydrolysed proteins.

Bijou Cafe

The best way to sum up the Bijou Cafe’s standing in Portland’s breakfast scene is this: Out of 36 restaurants listed in Frommer’s Portland guide, only three serve breakfast: the Heathman, Peanut Butter & Ellies (which made it as a kiddie/novelty place), and the Bijou.

And the best way to explain how that happened is to have a bite of the Willapa Bay Fresh Oyster Hash. Four or five cornmeal-dredged grilled oysters sit on thin strips of onion and potatoes, with parsley and what seems like a dash of curry. Sorting through all this for variations on the perfect bite might be the highlight of your day. It’s serious food. It’s also $12.25, with no toast or other sides.

The Bijou might not have been the first place in town to stress locally raised and organic ingredients. And it hasn’t been around as long as some of the old-line places. But it sure does look, feel, and act like the granddaddy of the New Portland restaurants, and both the crowds and the prices seem to back up that assertion.

The old brick walls and exposed wood beams say history; the modern art on the walls say style; the coat racks on each booth actually host coats and say utility; the blue-and-white checkered tablecloths, old-timey sugar pourers, and muffins in a basket say down-home. You’ll see businesspeople going over charts, friends planning a wedding, tourists poring over maps, conventioneers reuniting, and regulars chatting with the staff.

The Bijou is darn near the prototypical Portland breakfast place. It’s not necessarily the best, and it’s certainly not the cheapest, but it’s perhaps the one place you’d take your parents or other visitors who want a nice, safe dose of Portland’s organic, progressive, friendly, homey culture without the tattoos, hairy armpits, and all-out vegan fare. Your waitress might be wearing rainbow stockings, though.

Another telling tidbit: They serve Neuske’s bacon, Grafton Village sharp Cheddar cheese, Nancy’s yogurt, Mountain Madness granola, Greener Pastures chicken, and Dagoba hot chocolate, and they don’t offer a word of explanation regarding what these ingredients are. It’s like what was once a radical idea – using artisan and (presumably) local ingredients raised in a healthy way – now doesn’t even need an explanation.

It’s also true that a lot of folks in town think this is all very uppity and just an excuse to charge $9.25 for Neuske’s bacon and eggs or $10.25 for a cheese-and-mushroom omelet (ah, but they’re crimini mushrooms!). And grilled orange-anise bread baked for us by Pearl Bakery and called gibassier? Please.

It’s not a slacker, stumble-in hung over and surf the Web for two hours kind of place. It’s like, I don’t know, a grown-up restaurant – but a relaxed, Portland breakfast restaurant. Vegetarian-fed beef in the ($10.95) hash. Banana-hazelnut muffins. Brioche, French, or whole wheat toast; cornmeal, buckwheat, or buttermilk pancakes, all with real maple syrup.

Maybe the place just grew up. And maybe the “New Portland” is doing the same. The whole Frommer’s thing feels like a stamp of approval from a parent. Frommer’s calls the Bijou “comfortably old-fashioned, yet thoroughly modern.” Tough to add to that.

Closing of Campbell Arnott’s factory leaves 40 jobless

Snackfood company Real McCoy announced yesterday that around 40 people would be made redundant at their factory in Shepparton.

Campbell Arnott’s, which sold their snacks division to Real McCoy last year, still manufactured the product after the takeover.

The production line is due to shut-down by the end of next month, leaving around 40 workers without a job.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union says that workers had expected to lose their jobs at the Campbell’s Soup factory.

Jason Hefford, spokesperson from AMWU says the workers have known for the past year they would lose their jobs, but did not know exactly when.

“There’ll be a call for voluntary redundancies up to a number of 43 and it comes as really no shock because Real McCoy or Snack Brands Australia purchased it over 12 months ago now,” he said.

“So to the people it’s really not a shock to them.”

SPAR International defies ‘worst economic crisis of a generation’

Dutch-founded retail foodstore chain SPAR International has reported strong sales growth in 2008, with worldwide retail sales growing 6.3% in constant currency values. Reporting at the annual SPAR International Congress in Lucerne, Dr Gordon Campbell, Managing Director said “This is an excellent result against the background of the onset of the global recession.”

The worldwide organisation, now present in 32 countries spread over 4 continents including Australia, reported significant growth in the core Western European Markets, in South Africa, in the newer countries in Eastern and Central Europe and in Asia-Pacific.

SPAR Hungary acquired the Plus chain from Tengelman resulting in a 31% sales growth while the merger of SPAR Netherlands with the Attent chain resulted in a 26% sales increase.

SPAR South Africa continued its consistent strong growth with a 22% sales increase and the group is continuing with its expansion programme and as a result is confident about prospects for the year ahead.

SPAR Slovenia, SPAR Czech Republic, SPAR Greece, SPAR Denmark, SPAR Switzerland and SPAR Austria have all outperformed their markets and grown market share.

The SPAR Austria Group achieved a number of milestones in 2008. The Group sales, including Shopping Centres, grew by 10% to €10.88 (A$19.24) billion thereby exceeding €10 (A$17.69) billion for the first time. 2008 was also the year in which the international sales of SPAR Austria first exceeded sales in their home market.

SPAR Australia, was one of the new SPAR countries that achieved outstanding sales growth in 2008, increasing sales by 53%.

One major impact of the global financial crisis has been the increased fluctuations in currency values. The UK £ sterling, the Russian rouble, the Hungarian forint and the South African rand have all experienced major depreciation against the euro.

SPAR worldwide retail sales grew by 6.3% in constant currency; however, when the impact of the currency valuations is taken into account, the euro value of the SPAR worldwide sales remained relatively unchanged at €27 (A$47.49) billion.

Dr Campbell said that despite the times, the company was confident of the future from its performance in 2008.

“We are going through the worst economic crisis of a generation. The world economy, our industry and the consumer have all changed and some of these changes are fundamental so we are adopting new strategies to respond to the new consumer reality,” he said.

Biggest fall in fresh food inflation

Retail researchers British Retail Consortium and Nielsen in the UK have reported the lowest food inflation rate of the year, falling from 1.4 per cent in April, to 1.3 per cent in May. This is the second consecutive month that inflation has slowed down.

The report comes from the May BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index (SPI), and Stephen Robertson, BRC’s Director General said results were largely driven by the biggest fall in fresh food inflation in the UK, since the index began in December 2006.

“Food inflation has been falling since March, suggesting that the worst food price rises are behind us. Significant falls in the cost of commodities such as oil, and the pound’s recent stabilisation have helped ease inflationary pressures,” he said.

“Big discounts and lower VAT mean non-food goods are cheaper than a year ago for the sixth consecutive month with prices for electricals and clothing dropping most.

Mike Watkins, Senior Manager of Retailer Services, Nielsen says it appears that the pound’s recent depreciation has had most of the effect it’s going to on food prices and the benefits of lower commodity prices can be seen working through to shop prices.

“With summer approaching, supermarkets are using high levels of promotions on seasonal lines to draw in customers which are also helping keep food prices lower,” he said.

“Non-food prices fell again but more slowly, suggesting that exchange rate depreciation is continuing to influence the prices of many imported non-food products,” Mr Watkins said.

Australian, Canadian and US organisations sign against GM whea

A joint statement made by Australian, Canadian and US Farmer, Environmental and Consumer Organisations has been released, restating opposition to genetically modified (GE) wheat and commitment to stop commercialisation of GE traits in wheat crops.

The statement, titled “Definitive Global Rejection of Genetically Engineered Wheat” makes the following arguments for naturally-grown wheat and against GM wheat:

- wheat accounts for “two-thirds of the diet of the world’s population”;
- wheat breeding, particularly locally-bred varieties are adapted to the soil and climate conditions and critical to ensuring local food supplies during times of weather-related disasters;
- the high levels of irreversible contamination, poses a decisive threat to organic farming and the production of crop varieties bred specifically for local conditions;
- the lead to corporate control over seeds;
- continued scientific uncertainty; and
- research from wheat organisations (including the Australian Wheat Board) indicates very strong market rejection of GE wheat.

The Australian signatories are the Network of Concerned Farmers (Australia), Organic Federation of Australia, Biological Farmers of Australia, and Gene Ethics (Australia).

The statement has also been signed by international organisation Greenpeace.

Kellogg adds fibre to cereals in US and Canada

Kellogg Company, the world’s leading producer of cereal, has announced that it will add fibre to many of its ready-to-eat cereals in the US and Canada. In recognition that fibre is an important nutrient, and building on the company’s 100-plus year commitment to fibre, it proposes, by the end of 2010, nearly 80 percent of its US ready-to-eat cereals will be at least good to excellent sources of fibre.

David Mackay, Chief Executive Officer of Kellogg says that the announcement is progress in the company’s aim to continually improve the nutrition profile of products without compromising taste or quality.

“A year ago we changed what and how we market to children and reduced the sugar and sodium in a number of our cereals. Now, Kellogg is adding an important benefit - fibre - to our foods while maintaining their great taste,” he said.

According to What We Eat in America National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2006, fibre has many benefits; including helping to keep children’s digestive systems healthy so they can absorb nutrients. However, the study shows that children ages 6-12 get, on average, only 12 grams of fibre daily - well below the recommended intake.

“Kellogg cereals are a trusted mainstay of family breakfast tables. Adding fibre without changing the taste kids love is an ideal way to help parents increase their children’s daily fibre intakes,” said Celeste Clark, Senior Vice President of Global Nutrition and Corporate Affairs.

NHANES also reports that adults only get about half the recommended fibre intake, minimising the benefits of fibre, which can improve digestive health and reduce the risks of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

“As a practicing pediatric nutritionist, I’m pleased to see Kellogg move to increase the fibre in its cereals, especially those that are popular with children,” said Keith Ayoob, Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

“I’m on the ‘front lines’ every day and understand how important it is to find foods that strike a balance between what we know kids need and what we know they want’,” he said.

In the US, Kellogg already has ready-to-eat cereals that are at least a good source of fibre including Frosted Mini-Wheats, Kellogg’s Raisin Bran and All-Bran. The cereals with added fibre are set to be released in US store shelves in August.

New snack for time-poor gamers, minus grease and crumbs

Biosilo Foods, an American company focussed on innovation in the food and beverage industry, has developed a snack called Gamer Grub^TM, designed for “hungry gamers” who want to continue playing games while consuming snacks.

Released last year, the product is on display at this year’s E3 Expo - world trade show for computer and video games, held this week in Los Angeles.

Gamer Grub is designed to give gamers the opportunity to think faster and win more. The company says it is “formulated to boost your brain and speed reaction times for maximum gaming performance”.

Keith Mullin, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Biosilo Foods says “The form and function of Gamer Grub enables efficient, performance-based nourishment for all gamers-from Casual Gamers to Core Gamers.”

“Functional foods have proliferated the food market for many years, but none truly focussed on gaming. As the first cognitive performance snack food for the gaming industry, Gamer Grub allows gamers to consume healthy, game enhancing snacks, without greasy fingers or keyboard crumbs that are inherent in most gaming foods, such as pizza and chips,” he said.

Gamer Grub is currently offered in four tasty flavours: Action Pizza, Sports PB&J, Racing Wasabi and Strategy Chocolate, and is available online and at select retail stores in the US. The company has no current plans to release the product in Australia.

Exclusive national contract for confectionary and snackfood distributor

he Distributors - Australian wholesalers specialising in confectionary and snackfoods, has secured a contract with Mobil, giving the company exclusive confectionary distribution rights to 460 Mobil stores nationwide.

The company, which has grown to 42 warehouses across Australia, outrivalled two confectionary competitors.

“Working closely with one supplier on a national basis will give us a more efficient model to deliver NPD, promotional activity, and product allocations. The agreement will also ensure speed to market as well as maximising distribution across the Mobil company operated-stores,” said a spokesperson from Mobil.

“We have also recommended The Distributors to the commission agent & Mobil-branded Distributor network,” said the spokesperson.

Consumer packaged goods industry in USA resists tough economic climate

The consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry (in the USA) performed significantly better than the rest of the market in 2008, as measured by the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Averages, besting both by at least ten points, according to a report released today by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). The study also found that CPG manufacturer median sales grew approximately 10 per cent last year, down just slightly from 2007 median sales figures.

The 2009 Financial Performance Report: Focusing on Today, Envisioning Tomorrow is the latest installment of the annual industry report issued by GMA and PwC and is compiled from research, interviews and financial data on 157 companies in the food, beverage and consumer products sector.

“Given the CPG industry’s laser focus on delivering value, innovation and investment in the future, it’s no surprise that it appears to be weathering this economic cycle better than other sectors,” said GMA President and CEO Pamela Bailey.

“This performance is testimony to the fact that CPG companies are fulfilling their core mission, which is giving consumers the quality products they need at an affordable price.” Additional key findings from the 2009 Financial Performance Report: Focusing on Today, Envisioning Tomorrow include:

-The food sector experienced sales growth of 10.2 per cent, evidence that consumers are increasingly cooking and eating at home. The beverage sector followed with 9.9 per cent sales growth, and household products with 9.1 percent growth.

-Overall CPG company median shareholder returns for 2008 were down slightly more than 25 percent, which actually constituted a significantly better performance than the rest of the market.

-The food sector was the performance leader among the major CPG sectors, with 2008 median shareholder returns in down just 21 per cent.

-Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) spending relative to sales remained steady from 2007 to 2008, indicating that companies are actively marketing and innovating existing product portfolios and investing in the future marketplace.

“There are lessons to be learned from the CPG top performers, which are well positioned to emerge from this recession stronger than ever before, as they continue to invest in their core brands, take advantage of scale to produce healthy margins, and manage down debt,” said John Maxwell, consumer packaged goods and retail industry leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“Finding new and better ways to sustain cost reductions, manage IT related risks, invest strategically to capture market share, and take thoughtful approaches to tax credits and incentives are a few recommendations for CPG companies as they prepare for the recovery.”

“Although the CPG industry fared better than other industries, it cannot be complacent and must remain focused on the constantly evolving consumer purchase behaviors,” Maxwell continued.

“This is critical as suppliers, retailers, and restaurants continue to be impacted by the liquidity crunch. There are opportunities for CPG industry companies that can capitalize on the trend of consumers focusing on product value within categories, on the move from eating out to eating in, and as consumers that have de-loaded the pantry begin to re-load”.

“The report also reveals that despite the economic downturn, CPG companies are not backing off of their sustainability initiatives. In fact, many view it as a differentiator and opportunity in the marketplace. The report shows that companies reporting on sustainability efforts have substantially outperformed companies that don’t,” concluded Bailey.

‘Alcopops tax cuts jobs, not drinking’, fear Independent Distillers

Alcohol beverage distributor and manufacturer Independent Distillers fear the introduction of alcopops tax will cut jobs, not drinking. If new excise measures are passed by the Senate, this could mean the closure of its factory in Laverton - a loss of 135 jobs, and potentially a further 150 among suppliers and customers. It could also mean the company may have to consider moving operations overseas.

Since the 70 per cent tax on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages was introduced in April 2008 as a trial, the company has seen a 30 per cent decline in sales, and 23 jobs lost, with more pending.

The company agrees that binge drinking is a problem in Australian society that needs to be tackled, but believes that singling out ready-to-drink products is rather a “political quick fix” than a “real strategy to change drinking culture”.

“Imposing a punitive tax on one form of alcoholic drink will not stop young people binge drinking - it will just encourage them to buy different alcoholic products,” the company said.

The Australian Government’s own Budget documents prepared by Treasury show that the Government expects drink substitution. For example, “Beer excise is expected to grow by 8.0 per cent in 2008‑09, with higher volumes likely to be reflecting some substitution away from ready‑to‑drink (RTD) beverages.”

“In the same period, the consumption of full strength spirits rose by 18 per cent and that of beer by 5 per cent, suggesting some substitution from RTDs to other alcoholic beverages,” reported the Treasury.

Indepent Distillers also argues that people who are not binge drinkers and not young will be affected by the tax. The largest selling “alcopops” is premixed bourbon and cola - almost universally consumed in moderate quantities by 30+ aged males who prefer not to purchase whole bottles of spirits.

Peter Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of the company said he would continue to battle for his workers, which meant lobbying the Federal Senate to ensure it voted against the tax.

The bill had been blocked in March by the Senate, and now the Federal Government plans to reintroduce the tax legislation into Parliament after June 18.

Mr Murphy said that it is likely that their factory will be force to close, but he would push forward.

“I’m taking an optimistic view,” he said

Food Recall: Campbell’s Country Ladle Potato and Leek Soup

Campbell’s Soup Australia is conducting a voluntary national recall of the below listed product as a precautionary health measure. Pieces of rubber have been identified in some cans.

Campbell’s Soup Australia is working with health authorities and taking action as part of its commitment to ensuring the health and safety of all its consumers.

Consumers should not consume the product. They should return it to the store of purchase for a full refund.

Only the product with the below batch code is affected by this recall. No other Campbell’s Soup products are affected by this recall.

Food Product: Canned Soup

Name of Product: Campbell’s Country Ladle Potato and Leek Soup

Package Description & Size: 505g can

Batch Code: 3T9PAL (located on the base of the can)

Australian Distribution: National

Overseas Distribution: Nil

Reason for Recall: Foreign matter - black rubber pieces

National Flexible ‘Wraps It Up’

Sweet-lovers have been enjoying the taste of Walkers toffee for well over 100 years - and now one of its most popular ranges will be extra fresh thanks to the help of Yorkshire based packaging specialist National Flexible.

Needing a packaging film that would give their toffee bars the extra shelf-life they wanted, Walkers turned to their long-term packaging partners, National Flexible, who came up with just what they needed - a bespoke coated film suitable for wrapping a long-life product containing rich ingredients.

“We were so pleased with how the packs turned out,” said Edward Walker, Production Director at the family-owned business. “The time in which National Flexible were able to turn the job around was fantastic - and a great help to us,” he continued.

As part of their ongoing investment in film stock, National Flexible hold bulk quantities of specialist base films for slitting, printing and lamination. This means they are able to reduce lead times to next day delivery - even for specialist bespoke applications.

How staple foods got the designer treatment

It was in a farmers' market in Cheltenham last autumn that I came across the sort of discovery guaranteed to brighten my morning. Among the breads, vegetables and cheeses was a small stall selling Scotch eggs. Not ordinary Scotch eggs, mind - these were not the battery-farmed, greasy offerings you find in supermarkets. Handmade, free-range and made with pork from traditional-breed pigs, these were proper Scotch eggs. And there were more than 40 different varieties of them.

“We started off with five flavours,” says Neil Chambers, who founded the Herefordshire-based Handmade Scotch Egg Company with his wife, Penny, in 2003. “There was the Classic Mac, which is the traditional one. Then there was Smokie Joe, which is saddleback pork and smoky bacon; Black Watch, with black pudding; Scrumpy, which is pork, apple and sage, and Vegetabularian, with chickpeas, cheese and onion.”

Their success surprised even them. Selling mainly through farmer's markets and mail order, the company still shifts up to 7,000 eggs a week - at between £2.45 and £3 each, not bad going for what is essentially a snack food.

But the Chambers' Scotch eggs are one example of a growing trend. In recent years the UK has enjoyed a boom in the gourmet food market. What was once regarded as traditional, cheap and cheerful grub has now received a luxury makeover - numerous varieties of artisan breads, hundreds of farmhouse cheeses, fruit and veg that is not only organic but also biodynamic. It is no longer enough for a sausage or pork pie to be stuffed with abattoir leftovers; now they are made from choice cuts of meat from a rare-breed pig with an impressive pedigree.

In many respects what we are seeing now is an extension of the trend that first started with wine. Back in the 1970s most people in Britain were content with a choice of red or white, or a bottle of Mateus Rosé if they wanted to push the boat out. Then, in the 1980s, wine merchants such as Oddbins opened the floodgates by importing Australian and other New World wines, and soon everyone was talking about not just grape varieties and regions but also concepts such as terroir and Grand Cru.

Chocolate and coffee underwent similar metamorphoses as our national consciousness expanded beyond Nescafé and Dairy Milk. The term “single estate” began to be applied to coffee and cocoa beans as the idea took hold that where and how something was produced could have a distinct effect on its quality and taste. Now the trend has snowballed. We have grand cru beers, breads made from organic stone-milled flours, meat and poultry traceable to individual farms. A cheesemaker in Wensleydale is as likely to talk about terroir as a wine-maker in the Medoc.

The question is, how much difference does any of this actually make? Few people would dispute that, after the BSE and foot-and-mouth outbreaks, a greater awareness of what we eat is a good thing. But there are those who would argue that the main attraction of gourmet foods isn't so much taste as exclusivity - the cachet of buying something a little different. So are we becoming more discerning in our tastes or just turning into food snobs?

“We're caring more about what we eat,” Alan Porter, of Speciality Farm Foods, agrees. “We're wanting to know more about it because of the food scares that have been floating about. But I think people are also caring more and more not just about the food but about the people who are producing it. We don't just want to know that Farmer Giles reared this cow that produced this milk, we'd quite like to know that Farmer Giles has got a decent lifestyle as well.”

Unilever exerts further pressure on Sustainable Palm Oil Roundtable

Necessary target for climate change

Polman drew attention to the issue at the World Business Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen, as part of a broader speech which called for governments to support a moratorium on deforestation as a crucial measure to tackle climate change.

Specifically, he focused on the production of palm oil as one of the main drivers of deforestation in South East Asia, particularly Indonesia. Over 43 million tons of palm oil is produced worldwide, being used as an ingredient in food, cosmetics, soaps, shampoos and detergents.

Unilever has been assembling a coalition of international businesses including L’Oreal, Colgate and Tesco in an effort to tackle this issue.

Renewed Pressure on RSPO

Polman is the latest to voice concerns over the sustainable production of palm oil. Earlier last month, WWF highlighted the impotency of the RSPO pledge to convert to a sustainable product, revealing that only 1% of the sustainable palm oil produced has been bought.

As one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods, featuring brands such as Dove and Vaseline, their support for environmental change could serve as a reminder to other companies of the importance of investing in sustainable product. His words may, therefore, be well received by those who are looking to the RSPO to step up their act.

WWF has also exerted pressure on the RSPO to commit to conversion, issuing an ultimatum to the industry to use 100% certified sustainable palm oil by 2015.

“The destruction of the world’s tropical rainforests accounts for about 20% of greenhouse gases- more than the entire transport sector. We believe that we are at a point in time where, if the government and industry work effectively together to address the problem of deforestation, we can make real progress”, said Polman.

High demand for temporary workers in UK food and drink industry

Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is highlighting the value of temporary workers in the UK food and drink manufacturing industry, which coincides with National Temporary Workers Week 2009.

Angela Coleshill, FDF’s Human Resources Director says that the seasonal nature of the industry demands a flexible labour pool and temporary workers should not be underestimated.

“Temporary workers are highly valued and sought after in our sector as they are vital to keeping the food and drink industry responsive, flexible and ultimately competitive. We need to be able to respond to customer demand and calls by retailers to provide products for promotions at short notice,” she said.

The Food and Drink Federation believe that there are mutual benefits for workers and for the industry alike.

“We understand that temporary staff enjoy the flexibility too - the ability to work on temporary assignments enables individuals to balance work with a whole raft of alternative interests and responsibilities. They are also a great recruitment source into permanent positions when the need is there.”

“Temporary working also provides flexible working options to individuals who are studying, caring, travelling, between jobs, or awaiting a change in circumstance,” Ms Coleshill added.