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white label crushes premium options

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The heat is overwhelming and there are few things you want more than opening the refrigerator and serving yourself a good bowl of cold salmorejo. The original recipe is one of the jewels of Spanish gastronomy, something that science itself supports, reaching the point that in 2016 a study by the University of Córdoba standardized the golden ratio of the perfect salmorejo from Cordoba: tomato, telera bread, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and salt. No more, no less. To the supermarket. When we transfer that artisanal perfection to the supermarket shelves, reality collides head-on with industrial demands. In this way, the OCU has chosen to put 30 refrigerated packaged salmorejos under the magnifying glass to find out which is the most suitable product for this summer. The nutritional triumph. If there was a general fear, it was thinking that these bottles were full of preservatives and additives. The OCU flatly denies this, since in its recent analysis of 2026it is noted that no industrial additives have been found in any of the 30 salmorejos analyzed. In fact, applying the organization’s Healthy Scale (which assesses the Nutriscore, fats, salts and processing), all of them turn out to be a good or very good option for the summer and even provide fewer calories than their homemade versions as they have a lower proportion of bread and oil. For example, brands such as Carrefour Classic, Eroski and Vicasol Delicias have come close to technical perfection with a 90/100 nutritional profile. The tasting disaster. If nutritionally they are a ten, the problem that the OCU has found in its analysis is the taste in the mouth. Here the consumer organization brought together a panel of expert chefs to analyze a blind tasting and the result is that 77% of the salmorejos have failed the gastronomic exam. The main reason is that brands “cheat” with the original salmorejo recipe, since to achieve acidity, extend shelf life or give a more intense color, manufacturers add extra ingredients to salmorejo. For example, red pepper is incorporated to camouflage the acidity of the tomato or onion and vinegar that are more characteristic of gazpacho. The winners. To get a good packaged salmorejo, it is not necessary to go for the most expensive option on the list that promises the best type of tomato from our fields. Here the OCU has the following ranking of brands: Landlord: the best valued in the analysis, with a score of 70/100 and a price of €3.00/liter. Auchan: with a score of 65/100 and a price of €2.18/liter. In addition to these, the one from the Día brand, La huerta de Don Simón, which is among the best rated, and the one from the Realfooding brand also stand out. The recommendations. From the OCU they point out in the first place that it has been shown that many cheap white label cartons surpass in taste and quality premium rigid plastic containers that have a higher price. In addition, it is pointed out how important it is to review the foods of these products, since, the moment you see vinegar, red pepper or onion, the truth is that the recipe is not the most faithful to the salmorejo that we expect in our classic gastronomy. Images | Straight to the Palate In Xataka | Spain has become a white label country: 60% of what we spend on food already goes to them

We believed that VAR was going to put an end to the classic favoritism of the World Cup host. Then the White House made a call

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“When the certainty of the rules is no longer guaranteed, the integrity of the game is called into question” These are the words with which UEFA, in charge of overseeing the competitions of the European confederation, has responded to FIFA’s decision to withdraw a red card from Folarin Balogun, star forward of the United States team that faces Belgium in the round of 16. The statement is just the latest response that FIFA has received regarding this controversial decision that comes, according to The New York Timesthat Donald Trump, president of the United States, called Gianni Infantino by phone to pressure him and demand that he remove the automatic match penalty that is applied when a player receives a red card. FIFA’s decision is the latest maneuver to favor the host team in a World Cup and adds to the long list of favors for the locals that have traditionally marked the World Cup. Everything indicated that with VAR, the video refereeing tool, this was going to end or, at least, it was going to be very complicated to give small pushes to the local teams. But FIFA is always ready to surprise you. The regulation mess Forlain Balogun, a United States forward who has three goals in the 2026 World Cup, plays an aerial ball. It is the 64th minute of the round of 32 match of the 2026 World Cup and the person who disputes the ball is Tarik Muharemovic. The game is about to experience a turning point. The score reads 1-0, the United States has gone ahead with a goal from Balogun himself who is having a great championship but is about to lose its star for the remainder of the match and the round of 16 against Belgium. Or so we believed. In the dispute, the American player hits the Bosnian defender from behind. An obvious foul that results in a red card. As he falls, Balogun accidentally lands with his studs on Muharemovic’s calf, drags his foot and bends the defender’s ankle. The VAR calls the referee to observe the play carefully. Although fortuitous, the force applied by the American player is considered excessive and he ends up expelled. The match ends 2-0 and, of course, the worst thing for the United States is the impossibility of having their star striker in the tie against Belgium, the European team (hence the statement from UEFA, which is also in an open war against FIFA) against which they will play for a place in the quarterfinals. The winner will play against the winner of tonight’s Spain-Portugal. A more common setback in short knockout tournaments, the same setback as if, for example, a player accumulates two yellow cards in different phases during the championship. However, FIFA surprised yesterday with a statement: Forlain Balogun’s sanction was suspended. The alleged reason is that the suspension of a match was at the mercy of the player’s behavior in the next year. If he reoffends in a violent situation again, the rule will be applied to him. To do this, FIFA has based itself on article 27 of its disciplinary regulations, which states that punishments can be suspended for a certain period of time subject to the player’s attitude. A decision that as they remember from the Belgian team (clearly affected by the player’s non-suspension), collides directly with article 66.4 of the same regulations in which it is specified that a player who receives a red card will not be able to play the next match. In Sports CarouselIturralde González, former referee and referee commentator on the program, explains that the article that FIFA clings to is designed for disturbances on soccer fields and attitudes that go beyond the merely sporting. He explains that, in fact, FIFA does not withdraw the red card and only suspends the impossibility of playing the next match, a fact that has not been seen since 1962 when Garrincha was sent off in a tough semi-final against Chile but was cleared to play in the final against Czechoslovakia. Click on the image to go to the original tweet The call that went over the VAR We could think that FIFA’s decision was serious and fell within one of the many tricks that they have been using for years to favor local teams. However, a post by Donald Trump in X and the explicit support of the White House in which he thanked FIFA directly, he made the hare jump. The New York Times has been the first medium to publish what could be suspected once the thanks of the president of the United States was made public: The White House called Gianni Infantino directlypresident of FIFA, to ask that Forlain Balogun play against Belgium. In The Wall Street Journal They narrate that Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce, and Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the working group that the White House has active for the organization of the 2026 World Cup, went to work on the same night of the United States – Bosnia and Herzegovina. From that moment on, they count on WSJa machinery made up of specialist lawyers related to Donald Trump began to move to try to stop the sanction. On the table was the possibility of challenging the red card and trying to prevent slow motion from being used in this type of actions in which video refereeing is involved (which many understand to magnify the damage caused by a kick or a stomp). The team, they explain in the media, was informed from the first moment but the United States National Team denied any possibility of revoking the sanction. While all this was happening, always according to internal sources of The Wall Street JournalDonald Trump directly picked up the phone to speak with Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA who has always been very close to the American president. At that time, Infantino responded to the US president that he could not assure him anything but confirmed that the suspension had been … Read more

In a display of technical superiority, France has just invented traditional white towns. We, however, have forgotten about them

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At this time of year, in the hardware stores of the French Midi, it is impossible to find a very specific product: ‘blanc de Meudon’, a classic cleaning product in French drugstores since the 18th century and which in Spain would be equivalent to traditional crushed chalk. And no, it’s not that they have a sudden fever to have everything clean and spotless. As we said in Magnetis that in the middle of a heat wave, with maximum temperatures above 40 degrees and blackouts in much of the country, thousands of French people discovered that they could mix this powder with water and paint their windows with it. With the milky glass, the light reflects and the houses could shave a few degrees off the country’s struggle with climate change. In a matter of days, in fact, it has gone viral. And does it work? Of course it works. Chalk is calcium carbonate, a pigment that barely absorbs light and therefore reflects almost all solar radiation. It’s the same logic Purdue ultrawhite paints or the whitewashed towns that dot the Mediterranean. These are things that seem basic to us, but that no one thinks seriously about until the thermometer goes completely crazy. Luckily, ‘blanc de Meudon’ is widely used in the country. The other option would have been to pay attention to the Loughborough University and start spreading yogurt on the outside of the windows. According to the researchers’ calculations, with the “lactic approach” the temperature of the houses dropped by 0.6 degrees on average (and up to 3.5 on sunny days). A lot of laughter, but they still found a different approach, right? No. The data is clear: “complete shielding” with blinds, curtains or even aluminum foil lowers the internal temperature by 5 to 6 degrees, almost double that of yogurt or chalk. For this reason, images of Paris with thermal blankets on the windows have also gone viral. However, this is only the most striking curiosity. If I bring up the French fever for painting the windows, it is because there is something more interesting hanging from that problem: that, little by little, we are forgetting that architecture is something that has to adapt to the place where it is. All cities are the same city. For years, walking through the center of a European city has been a very curious experience. It doesn’t matter if it’s Paris, Lisbon, London, Prague or Berlin, they all look more and more alike. They are mimicking. They are losing their local peculiarities to repeat over and over again the same franchises or international stores: Primark, Zara, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Ale Hop or Calzedonia… But it doesn’t just happen in the centers, of course: experts have been wondering for years why all new constructions look the same regardless of which part of the country (or the world) hosts these new buildings. In Spain, specifically, ‘zebras’ have become a huge problem. A decade ago there was a very interesting debate about how the doctors’ series had promoted a whole series of practices that were dangerous for health professionals and patients. Things like wearing a stethoscope around your neck or not wearing anything below your elbows are simple rules that the cultural image of TV doctors eroded (and caused problems). With architecture and urbanization the same thing happens. A pending reflection. Often, when we decide to conserve our architectural heritage, we choose to protect unique buildings. And it makes sense, mind you. The problem is that, along the way, we forget about techniques, structures and decisions that are, in reality, profound adaptations to the climate in which we find ourselves. That Mediterranean towns are white is not a whim, nor is it a whim that their houses have the structure they have. It is true that some of these characteristics are due to technological limitations of the time in which they were built, but not all. And that is the heart of the problem: if we do not start thinking about our urban heritage as a tool, we will find ourselves in a few years painting the windows white. And, in short, we will not have searched for it by hand. Image | Anthony DELANOIX / Veronika Hradilová In Xataka | Beyond gazpacho and salmorejo: Spain’s hidden summer dishes that are crying out to become popular

In the midst of an extreme heat wave, the French have started painting their windows with white chalk. It makes perfect sense

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Yes, we are in 2026. Yes, there are air conditioners, very effective fansair conditioners and even paintings ultra-white (literally) with such a reflective capacity that they help refresh the surfaces on which they are applied. And yet, despite all that, in France there are people who are opting for a very simple method to withstand the heat: painting their windows with chalk. So much so that the demand for blanc de Meudona calcareous clay extracted from the quarries of Meudon, near Paris, has been shot in hardware stores. Looking for solutions at 40ºC. In the middle of the heatwave and with the Paris thermometers fooling around with 40ºCthe logical thing is that people start buying air conditioners, fans, fans and ice bags. In France, however, there is another item that has been as or even more in demand these days: the blanc de Meudona white powder made up mostly of calcium carbonate. The new toilet paper. It is so requested that a few days ago Le Parisian dedicated an extensive report in which he explains that there are craft stores that are depleting their supplies of blanc de Meudon and businesses that have run out of stock. Even people who order it online receive it late. “My wife went to all the DIY stores in Auray and couldn’t find it,” confess to Western France Philippe, a Frenchman who had no choice but to go to another town to buy white chalk. There are those who already compare their compulsive purchasing with what they experienced with toilet paper during the pandemic. @daphneblt I have tested the astuce of the blanc de Meudon 🕵🏼‍♀️🥵 Comme vous j’ai vu passer cette astuce partout sur mon fil d’actualité, although je n’arrivais pas à en trouver, tous les magasins étaient en rupture de stock 🫠 Le dosage : 1 dose of pour + 1 dose of water and form a small liquid to apply on the fenêtres to reflect the light (in théorie) ☀️ And the white of Meudon c’est de la craie donc réduire en poudre des craies ou bien utiliser de la poudre d’argile blanche c’est la même chose 👀 Mon verdict: c’est mieux que rien et je suis passée de 36/37 à 35 degrés dans mon appartement parisien sous les toits (cc Yann Barthès 🤠) orienté sud 🤔 Bon c’est mieux que rien, évidemment si vous avez des recos je suis preneuse, parler de l’aluminium qui apparemment colle aux vitres et de la couverture de survie qui visibly réchauffe les voisins d’en face 😭 Bon courage à tous et allez voter en 2027, vu l’état currentuel des choses c’est le geste avec le plus d’impact qu’on puisse faire (avec le fait de manger moins de viande 🥩) ✨🗳️ One of my first thoughts to Bernard Arnault who probably passed all the same since we are on a yacht, on a private jet, in a climatized villa or on a private island. ☠️ #responsibleconsommation #consommermieux #cunning #blancdemeudon #ecoresponsible ♬ are original – daphneblt Why’s that? He blanc de Meudon It is not a new product. On the contrary. It has always been marketed, although it is normally used in houseworksuch as cleaning cutlery or marble. Also it’s usual that merchants use it to cover their store windows during renovations. Basically the blanc de Meudon It is a calcareous material that is mixed with water to form a whitish paste with a milky texture. These two peculiarities (composition and color) have made it a popular and cheap resource to cool homes in the heat of the heat. It is not a new remedy, but in the last month it has gained followers thanks to articles and videos that sell their supposed benefits. Of course, the method is simple: the clay is mixed with water until it forms a paste and then, with the help of a brush, it is spread directly on the windows. The result is not what is called aesthetic, but its defenders say that it helps to refresh the houses. A couple of degrees less. In reality, there is little surprising about it. White surfaces are known to reflect sunlight and heat. In fact, commercial paints can cool at 1.7ºC the opposite side of the surface on which they are applied and there are researchers working on ‘ultra-white’ versions able to reflect 98% of social radiation. Some studies claim that, with an appropriate combination, daytime temperature could be reduced in more than 7.5º. @abou.addict J’ai testedé un truc à 3€ contre la chaleur, maintenant c’est en rupture partout.. Une astuce simple et qui marche partout: dès que tu as une fenêtre exposée plein sud que tu ne peux pas protéger avec des volets ou un store, le blanc de Meudon fait office de bouclier anti-chaleur. On dilute, on apply on the glass, and the remaining piece beaucoup plus fraîche. Ça marche also bien dans une école, une mairie, un bureau ou chez soi: partout où il ya du vitrage qui prend le soleil toute la journée et qu’on ne peut pas équiper autrement. On availability I posted this astuce l’an dernier et elle a fait plus de 600 000 vues, donc on la repartage avant la prochaine vague de chaleur (et pendant qu’on en trouve encore, parce que ça part en rupture de stock). #canicule #cunning blancdemeudon maisonfraîche #fraicheur ♬ âm thanh gốc – Coach sportif – Coach sportif “An excellent option”. Added to these advantages are those offered by calcium carbonate. “Chalk is primarily composed of CaCO3. It absorbs very little sunlight, even in the visible range, which gives it its white color. Additionally, it does not absorb UV radiation and very little near-infrared light, making it an excellent choice,” comment Xiangyu Li, Purdue researcher, told the BBC. On the France3 channel they assure that only covering the windows with blanc de Meudon can be earned between two and three degrees of indoor comfort. It is not the same as an air conditioner, although it is also much cheaper. … Read more

The White House app downloads itself on official phones and cannot be deleted

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Donald Trump’s Administration recently released a new official White House app for iPhone and Android. In principle, nothing too strange: many governments have public apps to disseminate statements, broadcasts, alerts or institutional information. But this one has not exactly arrived clean of noise. Questions first arose about its content. Later, due to the decision to take her to official federal employee cell phones. And now the controversy has escalated: several workers cited by WIRED They claim that the app appeared on their work phones and that, after deleting it, it was installed again. The testimonies point to several federal agencies. Employees of the Department of Agriculture, the Department of State and the Department of Labor claim that the application appeared on their devices, and they did so on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. The most specific phrase comes from the USDA: “I deleted it as evidence and it came back immediately,” said one of its workers. Another employee, this time from the State Department, said that he deleted it from his phone, but that in less than 24 hours it had reappeared. A public app on official mobile phones There is a good part of the crash. The application, presented by the White House as A way to receive “real-time updates, live events and direct access to the Presidency” does not seem like an internal tool for public employees. WIRED points out that it is, apparently, the same version available to the public in Apple stores and Googlealthough from Spain, at least on iPhone, we have not been able to download it. Within the app there is a social section with publications from the White House, messages from Trump on Truth Social and videos from official accounts on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. It also includes a news section with statements, official documents and selected articles from different media. That content is what has led some employees to describe the situation in much harsher terms than a simple computer complaint. One of the workers cited summed it up like this: “They are injecting pure and simple propaganda directly into our veins.” The phrase points to the heart of the conflict: it is not only that an app has reached an official device, but that the content that appears in it is perceived, at least among those employees, as an extension of the Administration’s political message. The White House, for its part, defended the measure before the technology publication with an argument focused on utility and security. Its spokesperson, Olivia Wales, stated that the application “does not require anyone to create an account or enter data” and He maintained that any information within the app is “secure.”He also added that government devices often include pre-installed applications that add value to employees’ daily work. The case has echoes of other recent attempts to bring state applications to mobile phones, although the comparison requires caution. In India, the Government ended up withdrawing the mandatory pre-installation of Sanchar Saathia public anti-fraud and mobile security app, and officially explained that would no longer make it mandatory for manufacturers. In Russia, Reuters reported that MAXa messaging service supported by the State, had to come pre-installed on mobile phones and tablets sold in the country. The difference is important: those cases looked at the consumer market; The American one affects official work phones. The underlying question is not whether the White House can manage the official cell phones that it gives to its employees. The question is what does it mean to use that ability to place on those devices? a public political communication app. A federal employee may have his ideas, sympathies or preferences, but his role within the Administration should not involve coexisting with political messages in a tool designed for work. That is why the protest reported by WIRED has a broader reading than a complaint about an automatic download: some workers reject that an official cell phone ends up becoming another channel for the presidential message. Images | White House | Screenshot Play Store and App Store In Xataka | Inside the field, thousands of cameras record and monitor everything that happens in the World Cup. Off the field, too

Pamplona is being invaded by thousands of white moths. The funny thing is that this is the only harmless part of the problem

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In recent days, there is a specific type of Navarrese videos that do not stop roaming the internet: storms of white moths invading entire houses, covering terraces and “taking” rooms. We are talking about white butterflies about four centimeters long that voraciously seek any point of light. The result is chairs, tables and columns, floors, ceilings and walls completely “upholstered” by them. I said “videos”, yes; but the word I was looking for was “nightmares.” And the funny thing is that this is the only part of the process (of the boxwood moth cycle) that is not really a problem. What is happening? Nothing new is actually happening. As predicted for weeks, the boxwood moth (Cydalima perspectalis) has hatched en masse in the Pamplona region, coinciding with the first heat stroke of the summer. It is not only that, as the local press remembersthese moths have caused problems before. It is that in the 2018-19 season caused a decline in the ‘bojedales’ of Atlantic Navarra which put the entire botanical community in the north of the country on alert. In other words, the new thing is the videos: the problem comes from further away than it seems. I mean, it’s a problem, right? The curious thing is that the moth (about 4 cm wingspanwhite and with nocturnal habits) is not usually so. In its adult phase it does not eat boxwood, It is not stinging, it is not dangerous for people or pets. It is very scandalous and somewhat annoying, but little more. The real problem is caterpillars and, as far as we are talking about moths, the damage has already been done. A sentence that already lasts 20 years. The caterpillars are monophagous. That is, they only eat boxwood; But, in addition, they eat it in a big way: they gnaw the leaves until the nerves are stripped. And it shows: according to the Ministry, after two years of ‘defoliation’ 72% of boxwoods do not resprout. It has been 20 years since the plague arrived in Europe and about 12 that arrived in Spain. However, today (and only in Catalonia) there are already 180,000 hectares affected. A third of everything in Catalonia. And now what? Little now. As I say, moths are annoying, but they are not dangerous. The authorities trust that it will be achieved a natural ecological balance that keeps the boxwood alive. The problem is that the climate works against us: if the heat continues to rise we cannot rule out several generations a year. And that would compromise everything. Image | Denis Chanter In Xataka | We are on the verge of the first heat wave of the year: an anomaly of up to 15 degrees never seen since 1950

Mercadona’s engine is not the white label, but crushing its rivals in profitability by earning less per product

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You may like it more or less your cataloghis business strategy or even the forecasts culinary-apocalyptic of its president, but there is something undeniable: Mercadona long ago stopped being a chain of stores to become a social phenomenon. One who depends about 30% of the food distribution market, 51% of the business of prepared dishes and that sets the pace for trends as relevant as that of the merchants. Hence everything that revolves around your finances be interesting. Especially because when studying them in detail and comparing them with other competing chains there is one fact that draws attention: Although its gross margin per sale is lower than that of other rivals, its profitability ratio is much higher. The data: 41,858 million. When Mercadona presented its 2025 economic balance, two months ago, there was a figure that made headlines: 41,858 million of euros. That was the company’s consolidated turnover, an interesting fact because it shows an annual growth of 8%, but it actually hides other even more revealing values. One of them is the turnover, net sales, which amounted to 38,178 million. In that case the increase was 7.2%. If we subtract from that figure what it cost the company to supply its merchandise (28,639 million), we obtain the first relevant piece of information: its gross marginthe money that the company earned after deducting the costs directly attributable to production and sale, such as raw materials or expenses generated during manufacturing. In this case it stood at 9,539 million. Is it important information? Yes. Above all to understand how the Valencian chain makes money and where it has its strengths (and weaknesses) compared to the competition. At first, those 9,539 million may not tell us much, but a few days ago Five Days subjected him to an analysis which does leave a couple of interesting ideas. The first is that this figure shows that Mercadona’s gross margin represents 25% of its sales. That means that of every 100 euros you earn, the supply costs take 75. From the remaining 25 euros you must get enough money to cover other bills and, above all, generate profits. It is not a bad percentage (25%) if we compare it with what the Valencian firm registered in recent years, but it is significantly lower than that managed by other competing companies. The calculations of Five Dayswhich are based on the accounts published by the companies, conclude that this margin rises to 26.2% in Dia, 27% in Eroski and 30.1% in Consum. In theory, this comparison leaves a clear reading: any of these three chains has a larger cushion, once the supply costs have been deducted, to pay the rest of the company’s bills and generate profits. And the surprise comes. The curious thing is that this ‘photo’ changes when we delve a little deeper into the accounts of Mercadona and its competitors. If we look at the operating resultwhich deducts all operating expenses, including for example salaries, rents, advertising, depreciation, transportation or energy, Mercadona is left with 2,061 million of euros. Given that Juan Orig’s chain invoices significantly more than Dia, Eroki or Consum, that operating result is also much higher in net terms. That’s logical. The curious thing is that it is also true in relative terms, based on the total income of each firm. In Mercadona this margin is 5.4% while in the case of Día it drops to 2.6%, in Eroski to 4.6% and in Consum to 2.7%. That’s the first surprise. The second comes when we go one step further and look at the net profitalready discounted the financial and fiscal expenses. It is relevant data because it basically shows what the company ‘earns’, the remainder from which the company takes the money with which it then pays dividends to its shareholders and makes reinvestments. In 2025 that benefit was almost 1,729 million, which is equivalent to 4.5% of its turnover. In Dia this percentage of global sales is 2.3%, in Consum it is 2.6% and in Eroski it remains at just 0.9%. Beyond the numbers. This mixture of percentages can be somewhat confusing, but it is very simple to read: beyond the business volume of each chain, whether it closes the year with more or less millions invoiced, Mercadona has achieved an important milestone. Despite ‘earn’ less per product Than Dia, Eroski or Consum (gross margin), their profitability ratios are much better. How have you done it? In your annual report The firm assures that it has improved its profitability thanks to the “optimization of processes”, which includes energy savings, “elimination of expenses without added value” and “advances in operational efficiency.” Only the use of ovens in ECO mode saved him two million. Outrunning the giants. Mercadona’s formula has not only allowed it to stand out from its most immediate competitors. It has also done so in comparison with other heavyweights in the sector internationally. At least in relative terms. a few weeks ago Expansion public an analysis which shows that the Valencian chain has skyrocketed its net profit margin to such a level that it surpasses giants such as Walmart, Costco or Tesco in profitability. While Mercadona’s net margin is 4.52% (4.52 euros profit per 100 euros in sales), at Walmart it is 3.1%, at Costco 3%, at Tesco 2.52%, at Ahold Delhaie 2.45%, at Dia 2.26%, at Sainsbury’s 0.73% and at Kroger it remains at 0.69%. And that’s just to name a few cases. The Valencian firm not only stands out in the photo finish With respect to its competitors, the figure for 2024 also significantly improves, when the net margin was 3.88%. Images | M. Peinado (Flickr) and Mercadona In Xataka | The gap between what pork costs on farms and in supermarkets does not stop growing. The ranchers have said enough

The white lynx we found in October is no longer white and that’s not even the strangest thing

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“When that white figure appeared on the screen, I knew I was looking at something unique.” When on October 24, 2025, Ángel Hidalgo He posted this on his social media I couldn’t fathom what was about to happen. Hidalgo has been using cameras for years. phototrapping to document the fauna of the southern peninsula, but it was that photo (that of a supposed “albino lynx”) that became a boom. They have rivers of ink flowed about the ‘white ghost of the Mediterranean forest’, but now Hidalgo has discovered something new: Satureja, the lynx in question, is no longer white. What is happening here? Already in October of last year, Life Lynx-Connect explained that it was neither albinism, nor leucism, or anything like that. It was a reversible depigmentation of unknown (although probably environmental) origin. In this sense, the fact that Satureja recovered pigmentation was something explainable (and, in fact, it is something that had already happened with another similar case). The really interesting thing is that, months later, we still don’t know why he had lost his color, nor why he has recovered it. And we are not talking about just any animal, we are talking about a specimen of the crown jewel of world conservation. And not because we don’t have clues… After all, we know how the lynx’s fur works: on the one hand, pheomelanin It is responsible for the brown, reddish and orange tones in the background; On the other hand, eumelamine is responsible for the dark spots on the ears, tail and other marked patterns. In the case of Satureja, what was failing was pheomelanin. Furthermore, the two cases detected are closely linked to the Andalusian olive grove. …but no one has managed to capture her. And, in that sense, the studies have only been based on photos and some ecosystem analysis. Nothing conclusive and certainly nothing that is sufficient to explain what is happening to Satureja. The great paradox of the Iberian lynx. Underneath the dazzling success of the lynx’s recovery lies something that we do not always understand: yes, the lynx is returning, but it is returning to a deeply transformed territory. It is enough to understand that only 1.5% of the 570,000 hectares of the Andalusian olive grove They are grown organically, to understand that the world has changed a lot (and continues to change). For this reason, many are beginning to talk about the lynx as the environmental sentinel of southern Spain. That is, as a species whose physiological changes tell us about changes in the environment. It is curious that we have been trying to save the Lynx for decades and right now, he is going to help us save ourselves from the main threats to the ecosystem. Image | Alex Hidalgo In Xataka | The most fearsome animals in the world: when nature is much more dangerous than humans

Two centuries ago the tires on cars and motorcycles were white. It had nothing to do with the design.

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It is more than likely that, in some of the American films you have seen inspired by the last century, you have seen cars or motorcycles with a white stripe on their tires Today, some companies still implement them as a nod to the past. What you may not know is that the only reason the wheels weren’t completely black was to… save a few bucks. As explained in Motorpasion, no tire (neither motorcycle nor car) was born as black as they are now. Between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the following century, tires were white, light gray or beige. If you search any car from the 19th century You can check it easily. This was because natural rubber is naturally light in color. But of course, rubber cannot become a tire as it leaves the tree; it must be heated with sulfur so that it is able to withstand the heat of the asphalt, withstand weight and friction, and behave as expected in a tire. To achieve this, the rubber was “cooked” using a technique called vulcanization, a process that bleached the material even more and ended up producing clear, non-durable tires. The big change came with the introduction of a very specific material: carbon. With its arrival, tires became more durable and resistant, since this material reinforced the rubber structure. There was only one problem: it was very expensive. For this reason, during the early 20th century, tire manufacturers opted for a mixed solution: the critical part (the tread that directly contacts the ground) was made with rubber and carbon, the rest without it. The result was this: tires with said black stripe and the rest in white. As carbon became cheaper, tires became completely black as we know them now, but some manufacturers (mainly motorcycle manufacturers) maintain white treads to give their tires a retro feel. It is the case of some Mitas tires for Harley-Davidson. Yes indeed, through the forums they comment the price to pay for this hesitated retro: you have to constantly clean the tread if you want it to remain white. Image | Harley-Davidson In Xataka | I was about to buy the best-selling Chinese motorcycle in Spain. Until I read the fine print

Mercadona and the white label had been setting the course for supermarkets in Spain for years. Until the “ultra low cost” arrived

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When we Spaniards go out shopping we value above all two factors. The first, proximity. The second, the price. Even above the quality. It is not at all surprising if we take into account that we come from a inflationary crisis and there are items of common consumption (cocoa, coffee either eggs) who have experienced a real storm in recent months. The chains know how much they are risking with each euro and have acted accordingly. For example with a bet on the white label that has been especially good to Mercadona. There is, however, another strategy that has been gradually making its way into the world. retail Spanish, one also focused on prices, but that does not rely on white label or short assortment: supermarkets “ultra low cost“. “Ultra low cost“? Exact. It sounds somewhat far-fetched (almost, almost cacophonous) but that is the label that best defines certain supermarket chains that have focused their strategy basically on product discounts. double digit. After years of inflation and with costs becoming a decisive factor When families decide where to shop, most chains try (to a greater or lesser extent) to be competitive in prices. In fact in the rankings Cheaper stores usually include brands such as Alcampo, Family Cash or Aldi. In the case of super “ultra low cost“The price is, however, more than just a front on which to compete. It represents the great differentiating factor. And it is to such an extent that it conditions the approach, the offer and the way the chain operates. In a recent article, Five Days reviewed the billing data of two relatively young firms that fit this pattern: Sqrups and Primaprix. What differentiates them? That in a sector (that of supermarkets) in which it seemed that everything had been said, with Mercadona expanding your domain and the white label gaining market sharethe “ultra” chains low cost“have found an alternative path of growth. Their strategy involves offering items from recognized brands (nothing from Hacendado, Deliplus, Auchan or similar), but with surprisingly low prices. As an example, Sqrups boasts of offering its customers “significant discounts” that move between 30 and 80%. How do they work the miracle? With your business model. More like its supply model. Unlike most supermarket chains, they supply surpluses that are left ‘off the hook’ or have no place on the shelves of companies such as Carrefour, Eroski, Mercadona or Hipercor, among others. These are surplus stocks, items that do not quite work, merchandise that has been left out of the circuit due to a change in packaging or not meeting presentation standards… In short, items in good condition that manufacturers need to liquidate and cannot (or want) to distribute through ‘conventional’ chains. Their destination ends up being Sgrups or Primaprix, where they add to a catalog marked by rotation, speed and discounts. But… How do they do it? “Large international brands usually have surplus stocks in their warehouses, left over from promotions (Christmas, summer, events…), from new launches or simply products with a much lower price in one country than in another. At Primaprix we travel throughout Europe hunting for these opportunities,” details the companywho remembers that he opened his first store in Madrid in 2015 and in just ten years he has built a network of 260. Sgrups’ explanation is similar. “We recover products that, under normal conditions, distribution throws away,” clarifies its general directorRaúl Espinosa, who boasts that thanks to its discounts the chain sells products with prices much lower (50-80%) than those on the market. The company ensures that its assortment comes from three sources: “production surpluses, image changes and quality control.” It also incorporates “short-dated” products. “In the last year we have rescued more than 26 million products, preventing them from being destroyed and giving them a second chance for consumption,” the company specifiesborn ago just over a decade and that works with food, but also drugstores, stationery and hygiene items. The big question: why? Because this formula has allowed them to connect with a part of the market and expand in a sector, that of retail Spanish, in which a small number of brands have been expanding their dominance. “Companies like Sqrups or Primaprix break the differentiation with the rest of the operators thanks to this supply model,” explains to Five Days Javier Pérez de Leza, good knowledge of the sector. “Mercadona, Lidl or Aldi have dedicated themselves to a type of discount that leaves room below, because the price trend is upward. You can be much cheaper than all of them, although with risks.” What risks? One (fundamental) is the pressure that operators in the sector can exert to reduce the surpluses that these chains feed on, although it is not the only limit that the model of companies like Primaprix faces. Relying on stocks makes it very difficult to guarantee the continuity of an ever-changing assortment. Furthermore, the fact that customers encounter different products every so often may increase their interest in visiting stores but also complicates such basic issues as logistics. What do your accounts say? That neither of the two chains are doing badly at all. Primaprix data we know them also thanks to Five Dayswhich a few days ago revealed that during the 2024 financial year the company had a turnover of 347 million euros. Maybe it’s far from billions from Mercadona, but it represents a year-on-year growth of 24%. If we look further back, the company’s sales quadrupled between 2020 and 2024, a period during which it went from managing 110 stores to 245. Now it is on its way to 300 establishments. The key: your business modelwhich is nourished by the surpluses accumulated in the warehouses of large manufacturers. Your catalog is completed with purchases you make in other countries, looking at prices, discarded items despite being completely suitable for consumption, or products that will expire soon. A bet not very different from what fashion or furniture outlets have been making for years. They are merchandise (many … Read more

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