Privacyhttps://8e17e43f0413656d5b5b0d96a251cfbc.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html138212091369
Southern Co-op to start selling out-of-date food for 20p in 11 stores – see full list
Discounted fruits, vegetables and even snacks will be available at selected Southern Co-op stores as part of efforts to crack down on the five million tonnes of edible food thrown away every year in the UKmirror

Get our money-saving tips and top offers direct to your inbox with the Mirror Money newsletterSign upWhen you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Your information will be used in accordance with ourPrivacy Notice.
Eleven Co-op stores will start selling products that have passed their ‘best before’ date as part of a new trial to tackle food waste.
Items including fruits, vegetables and even pasta will be available from 20p at selected Southern Co-op stores in efforts to crack down on the five million tonnes of edible food thrown away every year in the UK.
The project is part of the chain’s ‘Reducing our Footprint’ initiative that launches this week and focuses on ‘best before’ dates.
These stamps are about quality, not safety. The date means that while the item might begin to lose its flavour and texture after a certain point, it’s still safe to eat. Once a product passes its sell by date, it is considered unsafe to consume.

RELATED ARTICLES
Gemma Lacey, director of sustainability and communications at Southern Co-op, said: “People are more aware than ever of the impact of unnecessary food waste.”
She said the grocer wants “prove that a large number of products are still tasty and good enough to eat past their ‘best before’ date.”Sponsored Link by TaboolaAre you ready for Desert Order?Desert Order
Lacey added: “We hope this will also raise awareness that there are products in the back of people’s cupboards which don’t need to be thrown away.”https://8e17e43f0413656d5b5b0d96a251cfbc.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html138337504686MOST READ1Marks & Spencer’s slammed over ‘pathetic’ tweet following Aldi’s charity suggestion2Drivers of older cars face paying £6 more to fill up their vehicle from September3Tesco shopper who bagged £80 shop for £27 shares ‘exact’ time for hidden discounts
According to national figures, UK households waste five million tonnes of edible food every year and together we can do more to keep edible food in the food chain.
An initial trial of the ‘Reducing our Foodprint’ took place at two Hampshire stores last year. The grocer said “the majority of products sold within a day of being reduced”.
The extended trial will run for 12 weeks at The Co-operative Food stores in Bath’s Widcombe Hill, Blandford’s Salisbury Road, Bradford On Avon’s Winsley Road, Frome’s Nunney Road, Lambourn’s High Street, Mere’s The Square, Old Sarum’s Crosier Close, Shaftesbury’s Beaufoy Close, Shrewton’s High Street, Sturminster’s Station Road, and Yeovil’s Mudford Road.ADVERTISEMENT

Get your free rapid Covid-19 testPromoted by NHS
Products will be available for 20p with fresh products being sold up to two days after their ‘best before’ date and ambient products being sold up to seven days after their ‘best before’ date.
Examples of products included in the reduction initiative include tinned fruit and veg, dried pasta and rice, confectionery, selected condiments, sugar and sweeteners, coffee, tea and jams as well as chilled products such as soft fruit and fruit juices.
READ MORE
Gemma Lacey added: “We have some ambitious climate action targets over the next decade as we aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our direct operations by 50% by 2030, compared to 2019.https://get-latest.convrse.media/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mirror.co.uk%2Fmoney%2Fco-op-group-start-selling-23952920%3Futm_source%3Dmirror_newsletter%26utm_campaign%3Dmoney_newsletter2%26utm_medium%3Demail%26pure360.trackingid%3D&cre=bottom&cip=26&view=web
“This will build on the initial work we did to reduce our emissions by 27% in 2018 compared with 2012. We hope more businesses will join us and together we can start to make an impact on climate change.”
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises that products past their ‘best before’ date are safe to consume but may not be at the optimum quality intended by the producer.
What stores are included?
The extended trial will run for 12 weeks at the following Southern Co-operative Food stores.
- Widcombe Hill, Bath
- Salisbury Road, Blandford
- On Avon’s Winsley Road, Bradford
- Nunney Road, Frome
- High Street, Lambourn
- The Square, Mere
- Crosier Close, Old Sarum
- Beaufoy Close, Shaftesbury
- High Street, Shrewton
- Station Road, Sturminster
- Mudford Road, Yeovil
Sign up to Mirror Money’s newsletter for the latest advice and news
From universal credit to furlough, employment rights, travel updates and emergency financial aid – we’ve got all of the big financial stories you need to know about right now.
Sign up to our Mirror Money newsletter here.Follow @MirrorMoneyMORE STORIESAre you ready for Desert Order?DESERT ORDER|SponsoredClick to see our amazing welcome offerVIRGIN GAMES 18+|SponsoredMORE ON
Up Next

Tesco shopper who bagged £80 shop for £27 shares ‘exact’ time for hidden discountsTOP STORIES

Heartbroken mum spent her final months ‘crying in pain’ after being told petrol bomb attack on her home had killed her four childrenARSON

Six test positive for coronavirus and 13 waiting on results after illegal house partyCORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN

Queen ‘coping amazingly well’ and comforted by Brits’ ‘wonderful’ tributes to PhilipTHE QUEEN

Stacey Solomon wracked with tremendous guilt over suffering baby blues as young mumSTACEY SOLOMON

Kieran Hayler’s fiancée appears to hit back at Katie Price in cryptic Insta postKATIE PRICE

Harry Styles to go nude for sex scenes as he plays gay policeman in new movieHARRY STYLES

Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham’s ‘awkward’ phone calls with Premier League chiefsARSENAL FC

Paedo Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘pleasure palace’ – where Prince Andrew visited – is wiped off mapJEFFREY EPSTEIN

181 black people killed by US cops since George Floyd murder as country hopes for changeGEORGE FLOYD

UK slashes foreign aid to China by 95% to less than £1m amid deepening tensionsFOREIGN AID

Ashley Cain’s daughter Azaylia returns to hospital after being unable to feed through tubeASHLEY CAIN

Prince Harry ‘had two private meetings with Queen’ and Philip’s funeral ‘broke the ice’PRINCE HARRY138329481610
FOLLOW US
- Marketplace
- Find a job
- InYourArea
- MemoryLane
- Discount Codes
- Psychic
- Find a local business
- Style Store
- Play Mirror Bingo
- About Us
- Contact Us
- Work for us
- Follow Us
- Sell Your Story
- How to Complain
- Corrections & Clarifications
- Privacy Notice
- Cookie Notice
- Terms and Conditions
- Notifications and alerts help
- Subscribe to Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror newspapers
- Subscribe to tablet edition
- Newsletters Signup
- Irish Mirror
- © 2021 MGN Limited
Since Mirror is a Reach news title, you have been logged in with the Reach account you use to access our other sites.×https://reach-id.orbit.tm-awx.com/fetchcookie.htmlhttps://tags.crwdcntrl.net/lt/shared/2/lt.iframe.html?c=9458about:blank