An American supermarket that will only sell food past its sell-by date is being heralded as a potential blueprint for future UK stores.
The Daily Table supermarket and café, set to open in May in Boston, will sell bruised or misshapen fruit and vegetables as well as other expired products.
It aims to tackle food waste by selling produce that would otherwise be thrown out at junkfood prices, such as a McDonald’s Big Mac.
The store will collect and sell food that is out of date and unsellable in other retailers.
The project is being masterminded and funded by Doug Rauch, former president of American retail and grocery chain Trader Joe’s.
In an interview with the New York Times Magazine, Rauch said: “I’ve been in the grocery industry since the early 70s — most products didn’t have a sell-by date back then. In the old days, you’d smell the milk; it smelt good or smelt bad.
“People worry about food-safety issues, and E. coli or salmonella. Virtually all of the known food-related deaths in America have been caused by food that was in code.”
Writing in the Daily Express, journalist Peter Sheridan said if the model is successful in the US, it could be a blueprint for Britain to undergo a radical change in shopping and eating habits.
Rauch insists that the food his shop will sell is good enough to eat. He said: 'It's not trash. That food is good and I would eat it and I do eat it. To throw it away, particularly the more nutritious stuff, is a shame.'
He is said to be negotiating to open a 10,000 square-foot space in Dorchester, a less well-off area of Boston.
Expired food is legally allowed to be sold under Massachusetts law as long as it is 'wholesome', and there is written supplier confirmation that the food is edible past its sell-by date. Such items must be clearly marked and shelved separately from other produce.
