The new design, which will significantly improve quality for customers, has been developed after several years of trials. It works by using a unique combination of UV light treatment and improved packaging film to extend freshness for customers – without any compromise on quality or flavour. There has been no change to the volume of packaging used with the product. In recent years avocados have grown in popularity, with demand at Tesco up by more than 10 per cent in the last year as it’s become a breakfast staple and healthy eating sensation.
Tesco avocado expert Mike Corbett said:
“Avocados have recently soared in popularity as a healthy snacking food but frustratingly, once ripe, they can deteriorate fairly quickly.
“This fantastic new packaging will help cut down on food waste by offering customers up to an extra two days of storage time.”
The avocados will go on sale in 1300 Tesco stores and will be sold in a ‘ripe and ready to eat’ twin pack format, priced at £1.89. The new packaging has been developed by Tesco supplier and fruit and vegetable importers Greencell who specialise in supplying avocados.
Other recent avocado innovations by Tesco include:
- The ‘Avozilla’, which is roughly five times larger than regular varieties.
- Snack-sized mini ‘Zilla Eggs’, helping to reduce food waste on the farm and at home, benefitting both suppliers and customers.
- Convenient frozen avocado slices, to help customers reduce food waste.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Last year, Tesco announced plans to join forces with suppliers to tackle global food waste.
Other recent food waste initiatives by Tesco include:
- Perfectly Imperfect
In March 2016 Tesco launched our ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ range of wonky fruit and vegetables – using produce that falls outside of our specifications to offer to customers at lower prices. The range which includes apples, pears, potatoes, parsnips, cucumbers, courgettes, strawberries and frozen mixed berries benefits suppliers and has proved popular with customers.
- Crop flushes
In spite of our advanced forecasting and ordering systems, at certain times of the year we have to manage crop flushes, or ‘bumper crops’. Last summer there was an unexpected bumper crop of strawberries and we worked with our suppliers to make sure none went to waste by selling them at market-leading prices in kilo boxes.
- Re-sealable salad bags
In 2017 Tesco launched salad bags with a sliding lock similar to the ones used on cheese bags to keep the contents fresher and stop them from spilling out inside the fridge. Salads are one of the UK’s most wasted foods by households.
- Community Food Connection and Colleague Shop
We launched Community Food Connection in 2016. This is a programme in partnership with food redistribution charity FareShare which connects Tesco stores to local charities and community groups, allowing us to redistribute surplus food at the end of the day. As charities don’t always need everything offered to them, any food left over will now be made available to colleagues through Colleague Shop.
We have also set out our position on packaging as part of our Little Helps Plan.
