Coop Switzerland has announced that it is now offering Swiss garlic under its Ünique private-label brand.
Ünique offers unusually shaped, small or oversized fruit and vegetables which do not meet aesthetic requirements due to unusual appearance.
Garlic bulbs sometimes develop purple, brown discolourations or cracks due to the weather.
As the taste and flavour remain unaffected, the retailer has decided to include such harvests in the Ünique range to prevent food waste and support producers.
Ünique garlic is currently available in larger Coop supermarkets.
Food Waste
Coop Switzerland has claimed that it is the only retailer in the country to have a private-brand dedicated at combating food waste and offering producers a hand at short notice.
It collaborates with producers to include harvests that meet the quality requirements but do not correspond to the usual caliber, size, shape or weight.
The fruit and vegetables offered under the brand are of perfect quality and taste and include potatoes, carrots and peppers.
Sustainability Pledge
Fighting food waste is part of the retailer's sustainability pledge.
It has introduced a flexible ordering system to minimise food waste and offers products that have surpassed the sales period but are safe to consume at reduced rates.
It also donates food that is of perfect quality but can no longer be sold to Tischlein deck dich and Schweizer Tafel.
The retailer's initiatives have prevented 1,450 tonnes of fruit and vegetables from ending up in waste bins each year.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
