Tesco tackles food and plastic waste with plant-based protection for fresh produce

03 Mar 2022 --- Tesco is trialing a plant-based food protection branded Apeel to extend the shelf life of fruit and vegetables. This protective extra “peel” slows the water loss and oxidation that causes produce to spoil.

The trial will see approximately 80 UK Tesco Extras and Superstores around the Peterborough area stock Apeel-coated Jaffa Oranges, Jaffa Sweet Easy Peelers and Lemon Packs.

The trial will seek to understand the effect the solution has on the shelf life of these items, before going through Tesco customer panels for feedback.

The plant-based protection is available for an ever-growing number of categories and markets, including organic and conventionally grown produce.

Food and plastic savings
Tesco says that the UK throws away 6.6 million metric tons of household food waste a year and 400,000 metric tons of that is fruit. Every day, UK society throws away 720,000 whole oranges.

Apeel could also help reduce plastic packaging. Currently, the shelf life of cucumbers is extended by using plastic wrap, but this will no longer be needed if Apeel is able to replicate the protective benefit of the packaging.

Apeel can slow down fruits and vegetables’ rate of spoilage.Sarah Bradbury, Tesco Group quality director, says: “Tackling food waste is one of the ways we’re working hard to minimize our environmental impact and help protect the planet. Apeel could be a powerful tool in helping us cut waste in our supply chain and help customers reduce it in their homes.”

Fresh produce waste is a hot topic right now, after a WRAP report suggested plastic packaging can actually increase fresh produce spoilage in some cases, while critics questioned the report’s scope. 

Meanwhile, France recently imposed a plastic packaging ban on 30 different fruits and vegetables in a move that divided opinion. Zero Waste France argued that the ban’s exemptions “greatly lessen the law’s ambition” while others pointed to potential food waste increases.

Tesco slashes plastic
Last month, Tesco revealed it had removed one and a half billion pieces of plastic from its UK business since it launched its 4Rs (Remove, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) packaging strategy. In the last 12 months, 500 million more pieces of “unnecessary plastic” have been identified and removed.

Last year, Tesco rolled out soft plastic collection points at every large UK store after a successful 171-store trial earlier this year in Wales and the South West, in which close to a metric ton of soft plastic was collected every day. 

The supermarket giant also unveiled fully recyclable packaging for potatoes in Ireland. 

Edited

By Natalie Schwertheim