Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said: “A government-sponsored report published last year showed there was no link between promotions and food waste.
“The main method of promotions in this area is cutting the price rather than buy-one-get-one-free offers, which are rare.
“Retailers want to help customers make their money go further. They’ve also adopted a range of approaches to help people make the best use of the food they buy, including giving clear storage advice and recipe ideas, and offering a wider range of portion sizes.
“Using more of the crop to cut food waste and increase sustainable production is an objective for all retailers. This is how we are exceeding government targets for food waste.
“It was supermarkets that lobbied Europe to relax strict marketing rules on fruit and veg to allow us to sell more misshapen produce.
“This has led to an enormous increase in the sale of ‘wonky’ veg as highlighted this Christmas.”
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If it really is European rules that previously stopped supermarkets selling ‘wonky’ veg, how come Italian supermarkets have always sold ‘wonky’ veg? This sounds too much like the BRC buying into the myth of the EU law demanding straight cucumbers…
Well said Peter. How come my local greengrocer can sell whatever shape veg he likes? I supposed next the supermarkets will complain that there are special EU laws that only apply to them.
As for buy one get one free being rare. I find it strange that the Director of Food and Sustainability at the BRC has quite clearly not been in any of the major supermarkets recently!!
The supermarkets supply demand. If I had a choice between a ‘perfect’ (looking) red pepper and a weird shaped one then even though I accept it is irrational, I would still buy the ‘perfect’ one. I
Well, Andy, that choice would be up to you. But, we would not all follow your decision.
It would be my choice Jennie. However, I am being realistic rather than idealistic.