UK food giant, Tesco, is set to launch a line of cold-pressed juices to combat food waste, FoodBev Media reported. The veggie range, titled Waste NOT, will be made solely from fruit and vegetables that do not fit produce specifications and would otherwise be discarded.
According to Tesco, the new product line could save up to 3.5 tonnes of surplus fruit and vegetables in the first 12 weeks alone.
Initially, four flavours will be available: Orange, carrot & apple; beetroot & apple; apple watermelon, strawberry, cucumber & mint; and orange, apple, celery, and spinach.
Jo Batty, prepared fruit buyer at Tesco, said: “These delicious juices are the latest way that we are helping tackle food waste by ensuring as much of the crop as possible gets used.”
“The fruit and vegetables being used in the range falls outside specifications for fresh produce and although they might not be flawless to look at they still offer shoppers a great taste.”
“This is the juicing way of giving these imperfect fruit and vegetables a second chance!”
Waste NOT’s Mike Bullock said the new range is the company’s “way of helping the planet.” He explained, “Around 50% of celery is discarded in the UK, before it even gets past the farm gate, beetroot deemed too large or small is rejected.”
“It’s the same with oranges that are ‘ugly’ on the outside but still beautiful and juicy on the inside. What a waste! We couldn’t sit by and watch all this healthy produce be put in the bin.”
Bullock continued, “The solution was literally staring us in the face and Waste NOT is our way of using what’s beautiful on the inside (where it matters) and sharing what tastes good, feels good and is doing good.”
Even the juices’ packaging is planet-friendly; every bottle used will be made from 30% recycled plastic.
One business, Rubies in the Rubble, shares a similar goal to Waste NOT. Rubies in the Rubble focuses on reducing waste by creating innovative food products from produce that would be otherwise discarded. In 2017, the company saved over four million items of produce, and in turn, saved 202 tonnes of CO2E – the equivalent of driving 23,383 miles.
The new Waste NOT juices will be sold in 250ml bottles and will cost £1.20.
Image Credit: Waste NOT
