According to reports, Tesco is to widen its specifications for certain fruit lines after successfully trialling ‘wonky veg’ in its potato and parsnip lines.

The retailer said that it had worked with its suppliers to extend its retail specifications so that it could sell Class II apples and strawberries to its customers at value prices. It added this meant that it would sell 95 per cent of its supplier’s strawberries and 97 per cent of their British apples.

Matt Simister, commercial director for fresh food and commodities at Tesco, told the Fresh Produce Journal, “The work doesn’t stop here though. We have experienced high levels of waste in-store on the parsnips in particular, and therefore need to continually develop our specifications so that we minimise the food that is wasted in any part of the chain.

“We’ve already facilitated the up-take of 35 tonnes per week from our potato partner Branston into our ready meals partner Samworth Brothers, and we’re hopeful that the establishing of a juicing relationship with Scripps, our key grower of British apples, will utilise the remaining two per cent of the edible crop.”

Photo Caption: Tesco says it will now sell 97 per cent of the British apples grown for it.

Photo Credit: Tesco

The post Tesco to sell wonky fruit as well as veg appeared first on Hort News on 15 April.