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Did You Know? August 12, 2014

By Publications Checkout
Did You Know? August 12, 2014

Did you know… SuperValu has reinstated its leisure breaks scheme with Loyaltybuild, the company implicated in last year's data breach? Loyaltybuild has spent over €500,000 upgrading its computer systems and now claims to have the “gold standard in global security regulations”. Loyaltybuild has adopted new procedures which wipes personal data a year after the customer has traveled and cannot store payment card data. The company will also hire a certified ethical hacker to find weak spots in the company’s systems to better secure its IT security. SuperValu ceased its Getaway Breaks offers last November when details emerged that the Loyaltybuild site was breached. Loyaltybuild said that it is “delighted to be in a position where we can continue to invest in the Irish economy.”

Did you know… The UK's All-Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Misuse has suggested that the labels of alcoholic drinks should bear messages stating the damaging effects of alcohol abuse? The group said: "Health warnings are a familiar and prominent feature on all tobacco products. Likewise, nutritional labeling is ubiquitous on food products and soft drinks. Yet consumer information on alcohol products usually extends no further than the volume strength and unit content. In order to inform consumers about balanced risk, every alcohol label should include an evidence-based health warnings, as well as describing the product's nutritional, calorific and alcohol content."

Did you know… Veronica’s Snacks has launched a new dinosaur-shaped snack called Tyrano? The cheese-flavoured gluten-free baked snack, along with two other Crunchy Creatures characters Bronto and Stego in 2015, will bring the Cork-based company’s range up to six. Veronica Kenneally, founder of Veronica’s Snacks said, “Parents are concerned about the amount of saturated fat that can be found in children’s lunchboxes. Our organic Crunchy Creatures range will help fill a gap in the market for snacks that are lower in fat, have no trans fats and have fewer calories than other snacks.” Veronica’s Snacks sell in over 300 stores in Ireland and hopes to export in the near future.

Did you know… The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) have called consumers ‘brainwashed’ for expecting to be able to buy steak for €5? Patrick Kent of the ICSA said that the production of ‘top quality beef’ takes a number of years and the price should be reflective of this, however supermarkets have trained consumers into expecting to pay €5 for the product. Kent said, “Supermarkets can charge €15 for a set of Gillette Razor blades, and yet they have convinced shoppers that that they should pay less than €5 per person for steak. It’s clear that the marketing strategy employed by Gillette has been far more successful than that used to market Irish beef, despite the mantra we are constantly fed about the importance of the Quality Assurance Scheme and Origin Green.”

Did you know… The Big Grill Festival takes place this weekend? The first Irish international barbeque festival and competition takes place in Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 from Friday August 15 to Sunday 17 and features John Relihan (Jamie Oliver’s Barbecoa) as host to the event. The festival will offer a number of food options including the grill at Donnybrook Fair, Fire Foods and Red Dog Foods amongst others. There will also be a host of craft beer producers including Orpen’s Cider, Punk IPA and Trouble Brewing. The festival will host a barbecue competition where attendees are encouraged to take part and cook up their own choice of meat, sauces and rubs, as well as a hot wing challenge, and a spicy pizza challenge hosted by The Big Blue Bus. The Big Grill Festival will also include demos and workshops from well known chefs. Tickets start at €10 and are available by clicking here

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Did you know… Former Irish rugby player Brian O’Driscoll has joined the board of Glendalough Irish Whiskey as an investor? The distillery (which was founded in 2011) will launch its first whiskey this month, with a seasonal gin to follow in Autumn. Glendalough managing director Barry Gallagher said he was delighted to be launching the distillery’s first single malt whiskey and Ireland’s first seasonal gin. “We have built our distillery in Wicklow, successfully launched in the US and Australia and we’re delighted to have Brian O’Driscoll on board as an investor in our company,” he added. The company has also added two new brand managers to their staff. They will be based in New York from September, with the aim of developing the New York and Washington markets.

Did you know… Coffee drinkers are more extroverted than people who don’t drink coffee? The results come from a survey of 1,000 Irish consumers by the Irish Coffee Council, in association with Amárach Research. The survey also asked respondents about their favourite type of coffee, with cappuccino taking first place (30%). Americano is the runner-up on 27%, followed by lattes (22%). Espresso was the beverage of choice for 10%. “The popularity of coffee among Irish adults is clear with three quarters saying they drink coffee, perhaps more surprisingly is that nearly one in 10 of these tell us they drink five or more cups a day” Amárach psychologist Patrick Kennedy told Business & Leadership. “The notable difference in extroversion/introversion scores for coffee drinkers is also quite interesting as it raises further questions; are extroverted people drawn to coffee due to its function in social gatherings or do coffee drinkers become more extroverted through their exposure to these scenarios?”

Did you know… Mayo-based William Carr & Sons, a seafood specialist, is being sold to Mondi Seafood Group as part of a rescue deal? Erling Charleson, the founder and managing director of Mondi, told the Irish Independent that the Swedish company plans to retain all current staff. "We are going to continue working in Killala, Co Mayo and all former employees are also to transfer to the new company," he said. Over 70 people are employed by William Carr & Sons, which processes shellfish and salmon for sale both in Ireland and overseas.

Did you know… The European Commision has cut this year’s Irish fishing quota? The cuts are as a result of overfishing in 2013 and represent an effort to regenerate stocks. 10 countries including Ireland, Denmark, Spain, Britain and France, Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal are affected. Maria Damanaki, EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said, “If we want to be serious in our fight against over-fishing, we need to apply our rules by the book - and this includes the respect of quotas.” If a member state has already reached its quota for the year, the EU Commission will reduce its quota for another stock in the same geographical area. The EU reached an agreement in May last year to end the process of over-fishing and rebuild decreasing stocks to alleviate pressure in European seas. The Commission estimates that 75% of EU fish stocks are currently over-fished, compared to 25% worldwide.

© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Genna Patterson and Nathan Evans.

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