Kellogg's plan to laser flakes to fight fakes

A press release dated 14th October on Kellogg’s website states:

Kellogg's has developed a hi-tech method to stamp out imitation cereals - by branding Corn Flakes with the company logo.

The new technology enables the firm - which makes 67 million boxes of Corn Flakes every year - to burn the famous signature onto individual flakes using lasers.

Kellogg's plan to produce a number of one-off trial batches of the branded flakes to test the system.

Bosses will then consider inserting a proportion of branded flakes into each box to guarantee the cereal's origins and protect against imitation products.

If the system is successful it could be used on Kellogg's other best-loved brands including Frosties, Special K, Crunchy Nut and Bran Flakes.

The laser uses a concentrated beam of light which focuses the energy within the beam, down to a very small spot on the Corn Flake.

The energy density within the laser spot diameter is sufficient enough to give the surface of the flake a darker, toasted appearance without changing the taste.

Kellogg's embarked on the project to reinforce that they don't make cereals for any other companies and to fire a shot across the bows of makers of 'fake flakes'.

Yesterday Helen Lyons, lead food technologist at the company, said: ''In recent years there has been an increase in the number of own brands trying to capitalise on the popularity of Kellogg's corn flakes.

''We want shoppers to be under absolutely no illusion that Kellogg's does not make cereal for anyone else.

''We're constantly looking at new ways to reaffirm this and giving our golden flakes of corn an official stamp of approval could be the answer.

''We've established that it is possible to apply a logo or image onto food, now we need to see if there is a way of repeating it on large quantities of our cereal. We're looking into it.''

The company also released figures which show sales of Kellogg's Corn Flakes have risen in 2009 as shoppers with limited budgets opt for recognised, reliable brands.

A staggering 128 billion bowls of Kellogg's Corn Flakes are eaten worldwide every year in countries as far afield as Guatemala, Japan, Argentina and India.

And an incredible 2.8 million bowls of Kellogg's Corn Flakes are eaten in the UK everyday - that's one billion a year.

The firm's Manchester factory is also the biggest Corn Flake production line in the world and churns out cereals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

This is interesting to me as a marketing student as I was recently discussing the effects and ethics surrounding supermarkets ‘copying’ known brands packaging and whether this was an intentional act to ‘con consumers’.

Earlier this year it was reported that one in three shoppers admitted accidently buying the wrong product (a supermarket’s own brand) because it’s packaging was similar to that of a well-known brand, a study by the British Brands Group found.

The survey found that some 65% of shoppers said similar packaging can be confusing or misleading and some of the named offender’s where Asda’s, ‘You’d Butter Believe It’ which was alarmingly similar to Unilever’s ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter’ and Lidl’s ‘Jammy Rings’ resembling the more well known Jammy Dodgers.

I can understand then why Kellogg’s are worried and see this as a huge threat to their products but that aside – is this scheme really going to come to fruition?

I doubt it; in my opinion it seems to be a news grabbing PR stunt. Firstly, I am a little cynical about the stage this new food technology is at (the photo released is digitally manipulated, not using the new technology) and a few online news sites have expressed their difficulty in getting a clear answer from Kellogg’s about the likelihood they will adopt this scheme. The above mentioned Helen Lyons, the food technologist is conveniently on holiday so not available for comment.

Even if this was imminent, is it really a good use of money? I would assume it is very costly and time-consuming so would these resources maybe be put to better use elsewhere in the business?

After all, Kellogg’s said one of the main reasons for considering this technology was “to reinforce that they don't make cereals for any other companies”, great – so surely the Kellogg’s logo on the box is enough for me to know I am eating their cornflakes?

What are your thoughts?

Most Ridiculous Claim of the Year - Chat with Michael Jackson on Twitter!

According to several newspapers online;

“Fans of Michael Jackson can hope to get in touch with their idol over Halloween with the world’s first Twitter séance.


Top psychic Jayne Wallace will run the ‘Twéance’, on the day before Halloween, i.e. October 30 from Angels Fancy Dress in London.

She will attempt to make contact with the King of Pop and other celebrities including Jade Goody, Patrick Swayze and Farah Fawcett, who also died this year, and then Tweet their answers to fans’ questions”.

“We were amazed to see no-one had used Twitter for a séance before,” the Daily Star quoted Benjamin Webb, 30, who works at Angels shop, as saying.

The Telegraph has reported, “The move is a paranormal publicity stunt by the fancy dress shop in central London ahead of Halloween”.

Whether you are a believer or not - I would sway more towards the latter, exploiting celebrities beyond the grave for some publicity is very low. It’s disturbing to think that this ‘top psychic’ who on her website states that even talking to one of her handpicked psychics will cost you £1.50+ a minute through her dedicated 24 hour hotline and apparently the fancy dress shop are going to be aggravating the families of these celebs who’s memory should be left to rest in peace.

The telegraph also reported, “This is not Mrs. Wallace’s first beyond-the-veil star-spotting. She claims that she “spoke” to Jade Goody, the Big Brother star who died of cervical cancer in March.

Apparently the late mother of two said she wanted to apologise to her mother, Jackiey Budden, for not listening to her about marrying Jack Tweed, saying it was “the biggest mistake she ever made”.

Again, who is she to claim that Jade communicated this to her? Although some may say that it’s obviously a load of nonsense and anyone who believes it only has themselves to blame but on the other hand, anyone who has lost someone close will understand that it’s a time when you are very desperate and vulnerable and so exploiting this is shameful.

I have in the past had my ‘tea leaves read’ and always find it interesting what psychics have had to say to friends and families about what the future has in store but more in a light-hearted, take with a pinch of salt kind of way. These types of ‘visions’ or predictions of the future can be harmless and not so damaging – claiming to contact the dead however is a different matter, especially when they are claiming to have been given important messages like the one above.

This woman, Jayne Wallace however is disgraceful in my eyes and anyone who is also involved in this ‘publicity stunt’ is just as bad. Leave the celebs memories’ and all those who have passed away in peace and get a real job that doesn’t feed off people who are at their most vulnerable.

BBC1’s Wounded

Did anyone watch BBC1’s Wounded documentary last night?
Well it seems to be a huge talking point today online with countless forums already inundated with comments on the bravery and inspiration that the two featured soldiers showed.
It was quite harrowing, but ultimately inspiring and centred on two young men who both suffered some of the worst injuries imaginable.

Tom had been the victim of an improvised explosive device (IED) that had blown off both his legs. Soon afterwards, his left arm was amputated. He was at Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital, where British soldiers from Afghanistan have been treated since 2001 and where he was recovering from 15 major operations.

Ranger Andy Allen, 19, of the Royal Irish Regiment was another victim of an IED. When he was flown back to Birmingham, the doctors were hoping to save his remaining leg, but couldn’t. He’d also been blinded in the attack.

What was inspirational was that both were so determined to get on and make the best of their lives. One wanted to walk within 7 months to collect his medal, the other wanted to walk and to see his baby boy. Both did it.

One forum post is from ‘Sue’ who wrote:
“100% AMAZING. I watched this programme through a mass of tears. As a 'Forces' wife and mother I felt very humbled that both my husband and son have returned safe and my heart goes out to all the families of guys like Andy and Tom. WELL DONE BBC for showing this and I hope that whoever watched it will now realise OUR FORCES ARE AMAZING PEOPLE and we should be proud to honour them”

All the reviews and posts I read seem to echo this sentiment and how brave these men are and the only negatives seem to be surrounding the politics of war itself which I won’t go into.

Whatever the circumstances; these two men are brave and undeniably inspirational. It seems that this documentary will be a talking point for a while to come.

Not a LOTTO chance of winning?

The Herald reported last week that more than a quarter of British people are pinning all hopes of improving their financial situation on winning the National Lottery.

Only one in 20 plans to seek professional help with their finances, according to a YouGov survey commissioned for Financial Planning Week, which ends today. Four out of 10 respondents, however, said they needed to save more and reduce debt.

Nick Cann, chief executive of the Institute of Financial Planning, which commissioned the survey, said: “There seems to be a myth that financial ¬planning is just for the wealthy or that professional help is expensive. We are aiming to change perceptions of ¬financial planning by providing tips, tools and guidance to help people at all stages of life via our website (www.financialplanningweek.org.uk), -showing how applying just a few simple steps can make a huge difference.”

He added: “The results of our 2009 survey reflect the fact that many continue to bury their head in the sand by ignoring financial problems in the hope that they go away.”

Only 68% claimed they had identified their financial priorities and goals and were making appropriate plans to achieve them, compared with 85% in the 2008 survey. Almost 90% of the 30 to 44 age group said they had no financial plan which was regularly reviewed.

On top of all the other worrying statistics, I was reading this and wondering if it can really be true that over 25% of people believe they can win the lottery and all their money troubles will be over – it seems a little crazy? I looked up statistics online and the odds of winning the UK Lotto jackpot are approx 1 in 14million – not really great.

Furthermore, in a recent survey, 21% of people thought that if they put the same numbers on to the lottery for the rest of their lives that they would have a chance of winning. The reality is they would have to put the same numbers on for 135000 years before they would have an evens chance of winning – again not a help for paying the mortgage off or retiring rich this lifetime for most.

Maybe then if generation after generation should pass their numbers on there would eventually be reasonable odds? However, at two draws a week, every year for 135000 years you would spend over £14 million (at £1 per draw) so there’s not really much point.

So, why do a huge amount of people play and intently watch for their six numbers to be drawn?

Psychologist, Mark Griffiths investigated why people are attracted to lotteries and I suppose a lot of his findings were common sense; people are drawn in by the low stake and possibility of a huge prize and the ‘someone must win attitude’ coupled with human nature showing that people underestimate the odds of a negative event happening to them and overestimate their chances of something good occurring.

He went on to say:
“If I tell you the chance of your toe operation going wrong is 6%, are you worried? Sounds pretty low doesn't it. If I tell you that the odds of failure are 1 in 16, how does that affect your perception of the risk involved. In actual fact, these figures both mean that you have a 94% chance of success. Maths helps to get everything in perspective, to assess risk logically.”

Makes sense I suppose but if I passed this information on to my mum who has played the same six numbers since the day the lottery started in the UK I don’t think it would stop her – I think the possibility of not putting the numbers on and them coming up would worry her more than anything – I can hear the “It would be just my luck” response already.

So is it a good idea? I would say it’s almost crazy considering the statistics to think of the lottery as a way of getting out of your money worries and it proves there definitely needs to be some changes in the way that people view debt and overspend.

However on a lighter note, as the saying goes, ‘only gamble what you can afford to lose’ – if the £1 per draw isn’t going to bankrupt you then fingers crossed you are that lucky 1 in 14 million. I know myself that when Euro Millions jackpots are up at £85 million like last week, I can’t resist on the off-chance of winning - shelling out a whole £1.50 for a ticket doesn’t seem so crazy.

As the English proverb goes then, “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”

Can his Miracle Hands Provide a Cure for Cancer?

I very much doubt Adrian Pengelly can cure cancer. I watched Watchdog last night on BBC1 in disgust (sorry for this sounding like the opening line of a letter to ‘Points of View’) at the sometimes self-proclaimed Sir Adrian Pengelly – a man who maintains he can cure cancer using an energy that he transmits through his hands. Not only that – he can banish bad spirits from homes and can diagnose and treat sick animals according to him.

The first few clips on the Rogue Trader section of the show made a mockery of a man who was claiming to be talking to spirits (in a house rigged with tricks) and misdiagnosed a lame horse. I couldn’t decide if he was a foolish delusional man or a calculating immoral predator, especially after seeing the final excerpt on the show.

His claims turned from amusing to reprehensible when video footage was shown of this man telling a woman he has a 60-65% success rate in curing cancer – a totally unsubstantiated claim. It got worse when he also stated that his treatment was more successful on patients that do not use other conventional medicines like chemotherapy. Reading between the lines he was advising people that they would have a better chance if they declined other treatments – although I know there has been much debate among believers whether he was actually implying that or not.

Either way he offered his experience as proof of this and went on to say that he would advise his loved ones to decline other treatments if they were ill. The people who contact this man with cancer are ill, vulnerable, desperate and clutching at anything to help them so this is completely irresponsible advice and I’m shocked that he is allowed to get away with this. I would say that he should be investigated by the police, not a BBC1 show.

I have had a close family member in the position of being given news of terminal cancer and seen firsthand family members and I desperately trying to find a miracle treatment or medical breakthrough to reverse the horrendous news. This type of situation is definitely one where people are at their most vulnerable to any kind of positivity and it appals me that this type of immoral practice has been so far unpunished.

Adrian Pengelly and people who make unfounded claims like him are in my opinion evil and I can’t fathom how their consciences are allowing them to behave this way. To all the believers and people that have posted messages of support about this man on the many forums I have read today online – wake up, it’s not a witch hunt, he is a dangerous man making a living out of preying on vulnerable desperate people and it is interesting how his website with all his wild claims is now offline - not the sign of a genuine innocent man.

Teacher's Lose Out, Pupil's Lose out, Who are the Real Winner's?

The Herald reported that newly-qualified teachers across the country are increasingly finding it almost impossible to gain full-time permanent posts, nothing new but still frustrating all the same. The situation has been apparent for several years, as a series of surveys by the General Teaching Council of Scotland has shown.

The most recent of these, published in June, showed that two-thirds of new teachers had failed to gain full-time permanent work in Scottish schools almost a year after qualifying.

However, what is alarming about the most recent developments is that local authorities have been accused of intentionally preventing new teachers from securing permanent posts because they have fewer employment rights.

In the past few weeks, The Herald has been contacted by newly-qualified teachers from local authority areas, including Glasgow, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire, who claim their long-term supply contracts have not been renewed as they approach one year of continuous service.

Instead, the work is being given to teachers who have just completed their probationary year, which does not count towards employment history, or those who have already retired.

The timing is crucial, because working for a full year gives teachers the right to take a local authority to an employment tribunal or to receive a redundancy settlement.

In addition, under agreements between councils and teacher unions, staff who have been employed for more than one year acquire a right to seek a permanent contract of employment.

One teacher from Glasgow told The Herald: "There is a growing scrapheap of teachers who completed their probation two, three or even four years ago and are subject to this unethical policy of being passed-over for cheaper, inexperienced staff.

Glasgow also stands accused of failing to recognise teachers' rights to a permanent post once they have completed one year's continuous service, with the local branch of the Educational Institute of Scotland now seeking to take legal action against Glasgow City Council.

In a separate e-mail to The Herald, staff from South Lanarkshire raised similar concerns about the employment prospects of newly-qualified teachers.

"Teachers nearing the end of their continuous service had their contracts abruptly terminated two days before the end of term in June, therefore ending all employment rights," they said.

And in Renfrewshire, Wendy Alexander, Labour MSP for Paisley North, has taken the matter up on behalf of some of her constituents.

"Of more than 300 employees in our schools in the past two years, only four now have a full-time job teaching in Renfrewshire," said Ms Alexander.

The local authorities involved have all denied the fact that they are deliberately targeting newly-qualified teachers and have pointed to a number of other, unavoidable, factors for the trend, including the expected decline in teacher numbers due to many reaching retirement age has failed to materialise, with senior staff holding on for a few additional years of work because of the current economic climate.

In addition, Glasgow City Council pointed out that continued falling school rolls and school closures and mergers has led to a surplus of teachers and a reduction in the number of supply vacancies in the city.

Excuses or ‘reasons’ by local councils doesn’t really seem to help the issue in my opinion. I understand that there are too many teachers out there so why has the Government encouraged people into a profession or course of education that will ultimately leave people without financial security and work.

It’s also worrying to me as a parent to think that my daughter may be taught by several different ‘probationary year’ teachers when she starts school as students are all promised at least a year’s work when they graduate. So in order for this promise to be fulfilled are pupil’s really getting the best education they should be?

I am not suggesting that ‘probationary year’ teachers are not capable or competent but rather it seems to be an inefficient way to continually replace teacher’s especially when the one’s coming to the end of the first year are probably then ready and knowledgeable enough to continue and used to their class, then they are told they need to reapply for a job that statistics show they probably won’t get.

Instead because the work when you graduate guarantee, it seems that pupil’s and education are the one’s suffering, as well as the unemployed teacher’s – so in the end who’s benefiting? No one that I can think of.

Is it not better to have some kind of continuity in education? I remember at primary school in particular I only had two, maybe three teachers and it was better for parents who got to know their child’s class teacher and for young children who received minimum disruption and change.

I don’t know how the Government or maybe more appropriately the local council authorities can turn this around but I am sure on one thing – it’s a lose lose situation at the moment for many teacher’s and pupils alike.

Is Working with Family Members a Good Idea?

“Don’t Look Back in Anger, I Heard You Say”, don’t worry I’m not going to write all the lyrics but I am singing away to myself as I write. When I was reading about the Oasis spilt it got me thinking about the possible stress and added problems that arise when you work with family members.

Noel Gallagher has said intolerable "violent and verbal intimidation" and a "lack of support" from management and bandmates forced him to quit Oasis the BBC reported.

In a statement, on his blog at Oasisinet.com, he said: "The details are not important and of too great a number to list."

He went on to thank fans after his decision to leave Oasis brought an "amazing" 18 years to an end.
Noel left after relations with brother and band mate Liam hit an all-time low.

Oasis was named the UK’s most successful act of the 1990's by the Guinness Book of World Records and right up to this day have a huge following.

It’s sad and I know that I would have liked to see them continue as they are an amazing group of musicians; I’ve seen them live only once but grew up blasting their music. Obviously the inns and outs will never fully be public and it seems there wasn’t one incident that resulted in the split but the much publicised feuding Gallagher brothers seem to no longer be able to work together.

It’s a shame and unlikely that they are going to be close again according to the media but the question is, is it just too much pressure to work with family?

I honestly don’t know having never really been in that situation but I do know that it’s hard to be with any family member for long periods of time and can imagine that in the music industry that problem is magnified ten fold with long periods of time being spent travelling, touring or being trapped in studios.

Whilst doing some research online I read an article about an American woman who worked with her husband and described the trials and tribulations they had encountered as partners in their family firm. I know that it’s slightly different working with a spouse and a sibling but all the same boundaries and issues can arise in the workplace when you have someone who is close to you personally working along side you.

First and foremost, each family member must have clearly defined roles so that there is never room for blaming the other for not doing something. Respect and professionalism are also very important when at work as although in the house shouting or moaning about something not being done may be common practice – in a workplace with other colleagues it can frustrate or belittle the other person and blow up a tiny disagreement into a feud like the Oasis spilt has become.

This would mean, if you have a meeting with one another, show up. If you have a deadline or target, then deliver and that should alleviate some of the pressure. Also important, be prepared to deal with the consequences of not delivering and on the other side of things, be prepared to follow the same procedures with family members as you would if another employee did the same thing.

I think most importantly there do have to be boundaries where a decision is made not to talk about work when you are not there as if lines of communication become tangled then it’s hard to recover as the Gallagher brother’s situation has shown.

Does anyone out there have their own opinion or experience they can share?