slowly

A cheese giant is slowly taking shape in Spain thanks to a key ally: Mercadona

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The long list of Spanish companies that grow in the heat of Mercadona adds a new name: Entrepinaresa company dedicated to the production of cheeses and dairy products that started 40 years ago in Valladolid and today manages centers spread throughout Galicia, Castilla and Madrid, in addition to generating employment for something more than 1,500 people. Although the signature presume to be “the largest cheese manufacturer”since more than 20 years has a key alliance with Mercadona. And that is helping it expand. Why is it news? Because their 2024 accounts have just been released, a year during which Entrepinares managed to skyrocket both its turnover and its profits. The first section rose to the 665 million euros8% more than in 2023. As for the second, EBIDTA (earnings before taxes) reached 64 million, which represents an increase of 16%. Both indicators are partly explained by an increase in production: in 2024, 100 million kilos of cheese came out of the Entrepinares factories (8.3% more than in 2023) and around 35 million kilos of dairy products. In addition to being the main supplier of Mercadona cheeses, the company saw how it was reinforced its foreign activity, with exports to more than 50 countries. Is there more data? Yes. We know that the company dedicated 41 million to investments in search of greater efficiency, which raises the mobilization of resources for that purpose above the 140 million in the last four years. Thanks to this commitment, it has managed to gain a prominent place in the sector at a national level. In fact it leads the sectoral ranking of cheese manufacturers (at least based on turnover volume) prepared by elEconomista. Regarding staff and internal resources, the firm has more than 1,500 workers, collaborates stably with more than 700 farms and a large score of cooperatives and manages four production centers spread across Valladolid, Fuenlabrada, Villalba and Los Yébenes. Added to these are a logistics and packaging center in Valladolid and two other plants specialized in whey treatment located in Castrogonzalo (Zamora) and Vilalba (Lugo). Why is it important? Because of the data itself and its context. Entrepinares is not the only Mercadona supplier that has grown in recent years coinciding with the expansion of the Valencian chain, which has managed to strengthen its position in the market with a business share that It is already on its way to 30%. One of the clearest examples is that of the group Martinez Familywhich integrates several business lines and operates as a strategic supplier to Mercadona. It was recently revealed that the company will invest around 150 million euros between this and the next year to reinforce its Traditional Dishes facilities and keep up with Mercadona. Months before it had emerged that last year its billing increased by about 8% and its net profit 16%. Are there more cases? Yes. Another Mercadona supplier that has managed to grow is Ozturk Quebapa firm based in Toleado specialized in the production of kebabs and meat products that has been supplying the Juan Roig chain for years. Last year it invoiced around 63.8 million euros and this year it hopes to exceed 75. For now, in the first semester it reached 37.8 million. Its expansion is prior to the agreement with Juan Roig’s company and the firm exports to other nations, but Ozturk recognizes that “with Mercadona everything changes.” Mercadona’s leverage is also serving Sefood Group. Its subsidiary Leroy Processing Spain hoped in the spring to close this year with a turnover of 160 million euros30% more than last year. The company has been dedicated to the production of Japanese food for a few years and has managed to make Mercadona one of its main clients. The Roig chain also has among its suppliers: Profand and Panamar, Tarradellas House and Summer. Images | Entrepinares e iStock In Xataka | Mercadona has found a vein to grow beyond its white label and prepared food: tourism

For years the white label was the ugly duckling of the super Spanish. Now it is slowly eating up the market

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The white marks continue to get stronger in the retail Spanish. And clearly, with resounding growth both in the ‘short assortment’ chains that have traditionally opted for them (Mercadona, Lidl or Aldi) and among others that have chosen to adapt their offer and give them greater prominence, in the case of Alcampo, Eroski or Carrefour. The trend as such has been seen since some time agobut the latest data published by Worlpanel by Numerator (advanced today by elEconomista.es) are especially forceful. What does the data say? That in recent years the weight of its own brands has clearly grown in the country’s main supermarkets, including Mercadona, the chain that owns higher quota of market in the sector. If in 2023 Mercadona’s white brands (with Hacendado at the head) represented 72.9% of its sales, the latest data from Worldpanel show that this percentage now stands at 77.8%. It is a high figure, but not the highest in the sector. It is surpassed by Lidl, where private labels account for 80.7% of sales. In your case, yes, a slight drop has been recorded: the percentage improves on that of 2023 (79.7%), but reveals a slight decline when compared to that of 2024. Chain % of white label sales 2023 % of white label sales 2024 % of white label sales 2025 Lidl 79.7% 81.9% 89.7% Mercadona 72.9% 74.5% 77.8% aldi 68.8% 69.1% 74.5% Day 54.2% 56.3% 65.1% consumption 33% 35.9% 37.4% Carrefour 29.3% 31.4% 33.3% Eroski 25.6% 28.4% 31.2% Alcampo 21.5% 24.3% 23.8% And the rest of the chains? They have also seen the white label imprint grow. Let’s see. In Aldi it has gone from 68.8% in 2023 to the current 74.5%, in Dia from 54.2% to 65.1%, in Consum from 33% to 37.4%, in Carrefour from 29.3% to 33.3%, in Eroski from 25.6% to 31.2% and in Alcampo from 21.5% to 23.8%. Its quota has not only expanded, it has also done so in a practically sustained manner. The only chains that have recorded a decline or stagnation between 2024 and 2025 are Lidl and Alcampo. The latter is also the only one that remains below 25%. Is there data from the entire sector? Yes. The latest data from Worldpannel by Numerator allows us to go into detail about the main chains, but the picture is not very different if we analyze the sector as a whole. another report Recent research by the consulting firm NIQ shows that, if we talk about food, the market share of distribution brands is around 54%. That was the data at least for September. That of the annual accumulated (first nine months of the year) marks 53.5%. The percentage is interesting because it shows a clear growth trend and is at values ​​never seen before. What is the reason? As is usually the case, the rise in private labels does not respond to a single factor. Multiple causes come into play, although there are two particularly interesting ones. The first is the growth of those known as short assortment chainssupermarkets with a limited selection of products and a strong commitment to their own items. The clearest example is Mercadona, which has managed to achieve a market share of more than 27%but there are others, such as Lidl or Aldi, which according to Worldpanel bring together a 6.9% and 1.9% of quota. And the other reason? The commercial strategy. Supermarkets have been laying the groundwork for years to promote their brands. This is what I suggested in 2024 a Kantar study. Their data must be handled with caution because they are presented by Promarca, a representative of manufacturers and therefore an interested party, but they are curious: according to the report, between 2018 and 2023 the supply of private label products increased by 13% on shelves while that of external items decreased by 23%. That is the general data, if we go down to detail and analyze chain by chain, noticeable variations are observed. In the case of Mercadona for example the study reveals that the presence of manufacturer brands was reduced by 45% in just five years. In the case of Dia the collapse was 42% and in that of Eroski it was almost 31%. An analysis by Kantar and The Battle Group also shows that this loss of footprint was accompanied by an increase in rates: third-party items are sold at prices between 5 and 160% higher than those of private labels. Are there more factors at play? Yes, there are. The prices, the offer and especially a cultural change which has favored private label brands, stripping them of the stigma that weighed on them for years. Mercadona once again sets a good example: Hacendado competes with premium brands and has some products that customers demand, prioritizing even other brands. The big question is how far brands like Hacendado, Auchan or Seleqtia (to name three examples) will be able to expand their share, as they find it very difficult to compete in certain niches in which traditional brands succeed. It is something that Worldpanel already warned about in one of your latest reportsin which he pointed out a certain “slowdown” in the growth of the value share of own brands. Images | Eroski Group (Flickr) Via | elEconomista.es In Xataka | Action supermarkets have gone from being unknown to conquering half of Europe. In Spain they will not have it easy

Airlines have invested millions in entertainment. Passengers use it to see an plane icon slowly moving

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In an episode of the mythical Seinfeld seriesElaine is exasperating from her boyfriend Puddy, who passes a whole flight looking fixed to the seat back. That image, a custom joke of the nineties, today makes sense again with a technological nuance: and we do not look at the vacuum, but yes – and I include myself – we can get hypnotized with a point on the screen, the flight map. Of rarity to viral tendency. It is not an isolated mania. In a report by The Washington Post They have portrayed the phenomenon Through the story of Nicole Sunderland, creator of content that divides her time between Washington DC and Phoenix. Sunderland admits that on a 14 -hour flight Catar keeps the map on “all the time”, although the flight assistants try to turn it off. His custom went viral in Tiktok along with dozens of passenger videos They presumed to “endure” without films, without music and without wifi, looking only at the progression of the plane on the digital globe. Others, like Manu, seminated, turned the practice into a public hobbie: while the screens showed the screens showed films and series, she recorded the route map For social networks. The map as king content. Beyond the meme, the numbers suggest that this obsession has mass backup. FlightPath3D, leading flight maps provider in more than 90 airlines, states that 68% of passengers Open the map at some point and that 20% sees it exclusively. On average, users spend 52 minutes in front of the map on backup screens and 18 minutes on synchronized mobile devices. In total, about 400 million passengers used the product last year. The airlines themselves reinforce the idea. Last year, Delta Air Lines launched a new flight map designed for people with low vision. In the statementthe company was categorical: the map is its number one content in Delta Studio, ahead of films, series and games. According to their figures, 45% of customers interact with it on each flight. Also, media specialized in aviation, as paxex.aerothey emphasize that the map is “the most popular content of the IFE (entertainment on board) for a reason”, and that the airlines already experiment with integrating it into other formats: from a persistent side tape on the screen to brief overlays at the end of a movie. Why hook so much? Testimonies point to several keys. For some, the map is a control instrument in the midst of aerial uncertainty: Sunderland, for example, monitors it especially during turbulence to check altitude and speed. For others, it is a light meditation form: seeing slowly advance the plane icon produces calm in an environment saturated with stimuli. “There are map fans,” says Duncan Jackson, president of FlightPath3D. “They love to see where they are, how much is missing, observe the progress of the flight plan. For some it is almost meditative,” duck. An academic study of the University of Lund (Sweden), made in collaboration with Etihad Airwaysreinforces the explanation from the design perspective. In interaction tests with 3D maps prototypes, passengers valued more those interfaces that offered clear signs of navigation and sensation of control, and reported greater orientation with three -dimensional views. Even the choice of command influenced: some users developed better with gyroscope than with tactile controls. In other words: the map experience responds to deep psychological and cognitive needs. Simple map to travel assistant. The fascination is not limited to the luminous point that advances on an ocean. The industry is expanding the concept. FlightPath3D has transformed The map on an interactive platform: now shows previous views of destinations, animated global routes, children’s maps with animals, tourist suggestions and even Uber prices to reach the center once landed. In addition, Cathay Pacific He launched in 2024 “My Journey”an experience that combines an animated journey of the journey with information on services on board and points of interest. For its part, Panasonic Avionics has developed ARCthat integrates data on different plane screens so that the progress of the flight accompanies the passenger even when watching a movie. And in the field of accessibility, Delta has marked a milestone With its high contrast map, extended iconography and suitable palettes for Daltonics, which in the future will incorporate voice narrative with real -time updates. What began as a simple line chart in the eighties has become a sophisticated product that aspires to be inclusive, personalized and profitable for airlines. An obsession with future. The attractiveness of the map is not a passenger fashion. It is explained by the combination of three tendencies: the search for calm in overloaded environments of stimuli, the desire for spatial control and orientation, and the technological evolution of the product itself. In times of excess options – hundred hours of cinema and television in each seat – the map offers something more basic and powerful: the certainty of knowing where we are. As the Washington Post points outfor some travelers looking at the map is as necessary as tieding your belt. And as Delta acknowledgesit is already the star content of your digital offer. Puddy may seem eccentric in Seinfeld, but three decades later, it turns out that he simply advanced to the trend. Image | Freepik Xataka | Ryanair is abandoning small airports in France. There is an unexpected beneficiary: a Spanish airline

The debate about whether it is better to walk quickly or walk slowly is settled. At least if what we are looking for is our health

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Walking is an exercise that not only has the advantage of helping us maintain good health, it is also affordable for people with difficulties to exercise in other ways due to circumstances such as age or rhythm. However An old debate persistsSI for extract the benefits of this exercise We can go with a relaxed step or if on the contrary a prescription rhythm is essential. If there are no reasons such as injuries that can be aggravated with sports, physical activity, even in “small doses”, it will always be better than inactivity. That is why the debate about the ideal of walking slowly suits us is easy to settle: walking slowly is better than not walking. Of course, experts tend to agree that, if we have the possibility, better to accelerate the step. Walking can help our health in different ways. Our heart health is, surely, the one that can be appreciated most to wear comfortable footwear and go for a walk, but it is not the only one. Walk has been related to a lower impact of diseases such as diabetes but can also have psychological benefits such as stress reduction or help Improve concentrationespecially when we walk through natural environments. But then what about the Benefits of walking quickly? Again, cardiovascular health is in the center of the debate. A study Recent in highlighting this is the one published in 2024 in the magazine Atherosisclerosis. The study, which had almost 20,000 participants, analyzed their mortality in a period of 9.4 years. The team responsible for the analysis detected an inverse relationship between the rhythm with which they used to walk and the risk of death and suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Studies that relate the rhythm of our gait with the benefits that walk gives our health They are diverse. Some also cover the relationship between speed and cognitive deterioration. Some examples are found in The review published in 2016 In the magazine Ageing Research Reviews. The team responsible for the analysis found a relationship between the speed of the passage when walking and the cognitive deteriorationalthough it was not conclusive about the existence of a direct causal relationship since it could also be cognitive deterioration that makes us walk more slowly. Lose weight Weight is an important risk factor in many diseases. That is why, although thinning does not have to imply that we will be healthier, it can be useful to reduce this risk or as a simple motivation towards healthier habits. Among them, exercise. If our goal is to lose weight, accelerate the step It can also be helpful. Of course, the context can be important, as a group of researchers recently discovered. In Your studypublished in 2024 in the magazine Sports Science & Medicine, They detected that Genetics could be decisive when reducing our weight through this type of exercise. Walking is an affordable and healthy exercise, but science finds more and more evidence that it is best to accelerate the step if we want to make the most of the benefits of our walks. Walking, even at a leisurely rhythm, can help our health, but can also help us take the habit necessary to direct us, little by little, towards a more active life. Step by step. In Xataka | The 10,000 daily steps were always a myth. Science already knows what the optimal number is Image | MARTINDALSGAARDSØRENSEN

Eating slowly is an old trick to satisfy us before. Now some researchers have an idea to make it easier: spicy

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The spicy is a culinary element that is indifferent. It is not considered a flavor like sweet or acid, what molecules such as capsaicin do is “deceive” our sense of touch and make it think that we are burning ourselves. An evolutionary mechanism to prevent us from eating the fruit of some plants. More spicy, less calories? Now a team of researchers He has discovered A new potential in the spicy, to help us ingest less calories. The team observed in its study that the ardor feeling made the participants consume less food and with it, less calories. The key may be in something that we already know about previous studies: eating more slowly makes us eat less. What I would do The spicy It would be to eat slower, which in turn would increase the feeling of satiety and indirectly, causing us to eat less. “We know for previous studies that when people (eat) more slowly, they eat significantly less,” pointed in a press release Paige Cunningham, co -author of the study. “We suspected that making a more spicy meal could stop people. We think, we are going to try, in controlled laboratory conditions, if a small amount of spicy (…) will make people eat more slowly and therefore eat less.” Sweet, or spicy paprika. In his study, the team carried out three experiments in which a total of 130 people participated. The team prepared different versions of the same dish (more or less spicy) altering the proportion between sweet and spicy paprika in order to keep the taste altering only the spicy. “Science is proof and error. I prepared a recipe, and I saw how far the spicy could take, then we tried it,” Cunningham explained. The team recorded the participants during the food to monitor their behavior when eating. They checked how how much food they consumed, but also the water they drank, the duration of the food, speed, rhythm of chewing, etc. It is not water, that time. They could see that the participants ate less and that they did it more slowly, something that can explain as a mediating cause in the relationship. The team was able to contrast this with an alternative hypothesis, the possibility that they ate less because they drank more water and that is why they were filled before. This turned out to be the case. The details of the study have been published In an article In the magazine Food Quality and Preference. It is not always easy. According to the team itself, previous studies have revealed that various food properties, such as texture and even food shape can have similar effects. Even A recent study Performed by the same team indicated that something similar happens when we burn with a food too hot. Introducing auditory patterns can also help. A Recent study He pointed out that there are different factors, for example gender, which affect the speed with which we eat our food. The same study indicated that there are also external factors, such as rhythmic patterns, which can make us eat faster or more slowly. In Xataka | We have been studying chocolate and tea compounds for more than 75 years. Now we know that they help control blood pressure Image | Qurratul Ayin Sadia

If we want to eat less, eating more slowly is a valid strategy. In Japan they are investigating how to achieve it

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Losing weight, or maintaining our weight under control is more than solving the simple calorie equation consumed against burned calories. Numerous more or less hidden factors can unbalance this balance, factors ranging from the metabolic to the sociological. The other factors. A Japanese researchers team He has investigated in how factors such as the number of bites, the rhythms we perceive in our environment and gender affect the duration of food. The goal is to eat more slowly to make us easier to have our weight under our control. Slowly. The idea of ​​stopping the rhythm with which we eat to eat less and be able to lose weight is not new but we can find it in guides and recommendations of More than a decade ago. It is not an infallible recipe, but According to expertsaid. The logic behind has to do with how the stomach and other organs of the digestive system transmit information to the brain and how it processes it. This occurs in two ways: first through nerve impulses, and then through the chemical signal that some hormones transmit. Replicating one of the hormonal signals that indicate that food has satiated us is precisely one of the mechanisms for which the consumption of Drugs like Ozempic makes us lose weight. An aid. Now, even when we talk about a “trick” like this, say it is easier than doing so. That is why the new study has analyzed how different factors affect the speed with which we swallow food. And in this, men and women have differentiated guidelines. “While the science of nutrition often deals with the metabolism and absorption of food, and dietary content, there are limited evidence in Japan that eating behavior connects both (points). This intrigue led me to study eating behavior, which involved gender differences,” pointed in a press release Katsumi Iizuka, co -author of the study. 33 participants. To put these ideas to the test, the team responsible for the study He put pizza portions to 33 participants, healthy adults between 20 and 65. They measured the number of bites and the times they already chewed what rhythm. They also used metronomes and headphones to induce more or less accelerated rhythms to check the response of the participants. As expected, the team observed important differences in the habits of men and women: on average these took longer to eat their portion (87 seconds in front of the 63 d them men). They also chewed more (107 times against 80 on average) and took more bites (more than double). Change the rhythm. However, gender was not the only factor that affected eating habit: rhythmic stimuli affected the time required to consume food. A 40 pulse tempo per minute (BPM) markedly elongated the duration of food compared to those who ate without rhythmic stimulation. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine Nutrients. Facilitating work. Now, there are also reasons why being cautious when generalizing the results of the study. First, we must take into account the limited sample (33 participants). Second, also for the existence of cultural differences between our context and Japanese. These differences both to gastronomic culture and gender differences between men and women and the way in which each society expects to behave when they eat in public. Despite this, the results can help us design strategies to facilitate weight loss that best suits each person, taking into account, for example, their gender. The study can also allow us to know more about how changes in context can help us influence our eating behavior, such as using music with slow tempos to force more leisurely meals. In Xataka | Beyond tobacco: we have just discovered that food can also affect the risk of developing lung cancer Image | Surprising_media

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