Yahoo Finance Vac-pack mince gets retailer’s backing despite customer backlash
Lidl will start vacuum-packing its beef mince in a drive to be more green, despite rival Sainsbury’s facing a backlash from shoppers over claims the process turns meat into “mush”.
The German discounter said it will roll out the new packaging across its beef mince range in stores next year, cutting the amount of plastic used by almost two thirds.
The move will also double the shelf life of meat from eight to 16 days, with Lidl estimating it will halve the amount of mince that goes to waste in stores.
The news comes weeks after Sainsbury’s launch of vacuum-packed mince sparked controversy among shoppers.
The supermarket was forced to defend its own mince beef packaging from claims from customers that it made the meat “unappetising” and “disgusting”.
One online review said the packaging method turned “mince into mush”. “It’s very hard to cook and smells off,” they added.
Sainsbury’s has insisted that the new packaging does not affect the taste or quality of the meat.
Lidl, announcing its own move, said: “When the new packaging arrives in store early next year, we know that the huge benefits both from a sustainability and practical perspective, will be welcomed by our customers.”
The discounter said the new packets would take up less space in people’s fridges and freezers, and would include an easy peel film so customers would not have to touch raw meat.
It comes as part of a wider green push among supermarkets, as more grocers start installing heat pumps at stores and look to cut back on energy use.
The Telegraph revealed last weekend that Aldi was turning off lights at its stores from this month in a step which would cut its energy bills and help it to lower prices for shoppers.
Supermarkets have also been looking for ways to cut food waste, including Tesco and Asda removing “use by” dates on yoghurts to replace them with “best before” dates earlier this year.
Waste charity Wrap estimates that the average family throws away £60 worth of food and drink a month, putting further pressure on household budgets.
