Coop Switzerland is freezing select fresh meat products on their 'use-by' dates and offering them at reduced prices as part of its efforts to prevent food waste in the fresh meat category.
Fresh meat products that are suitable for freezing, such as minced meat, chicken breast or entrecôte, can be kept for another 90 days if stored properly in the deep-freeze, the company added.
These frozen meats offer the same quality as their fresh counterparts at half the price.
The pilot project is currently underway in 16 Coop stores across German-speaking Switzerland.
During this trial phase, frozen fresh meat can be found in the freezer aisle of participating stores in the Nordwestschweiz-Zentralschweiz Zürich region.
Food Waste Prevention
Consumers just need to look out for the 'Verwenden statt Verschwenden' (Use instead of waste) sticker and the freezer symbol to identify these perfectly good frozen meats.
This initiative aligns with Coop's established ''Verwenden statt Verschwenden' (Use instead of waste) strategy, which encompasses various measures to prevent food waste. It also benefits from recent changes in Swiss food safety regulations that support this practice.
In addition to donating food to social organisations, Coop also purchases cosmetically imperfect fruits and vegetables from producers and resells them in its stores under the Ünique brand. Additionally, it also continuously optimises its purchasing planning.
In 2023, Coop Switzerland generated total sales of CHF 34.7 billion (€37.3 billion), registering a 1.4% increase compared to the year before.
Excluding fuels, the company's retail division saw net sales increasing by 1.0%, while its wholesale and production unit reported 3.8% growth.
