Retailers and fresh produce suppliers need to see food waste as an “asset” to their company, rather than a hindrance, Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe has argued.
Coupe, speaking at the Fareshare Surplus Food Summit in London today (17 June), said Sainsbury’s has adapted the way it operates to best utilise the food waste that’s created when you function under the “onerous constraint of giving customers what they want, when they want it.”
Continuing the theme of viewing food waste as an asset, Asda senior director supply Matt Wood revealed that the Walmart-owned retailer had reduced overstocking by 30 per cent by applying a more diligent examination system of fresh products after integrating food waste charities into its operations.
He also revealed that Asda wants to work more closely with suppliers on the issue.
The Surplus Food Summit began with food waste charity Fareshare launch its Food Efficiency Framework, which is aimed at guiding food businesses towards ensuring surplus food is identified as early as possible.
For more on this story, see this Friday (19 June)'s edition of Fresh Produce Journal.
