UK retailer Sainsbury’s has launched peat-free mushrooms, which it claims is a first among supermarkets in the country.
The production process of the product is less carbon intensive as it protects nature by leaving peat on the ground, according to the retailer.
Currently, conventional mushroom production relies on the use of peat, a precious carbon-rich natural resource that takes thousands of years to grow in wetland ecosystems.
Mushrooms are one of the most popular fresh produce items with over 1.5 billion portions sold each year in the UK, the retailer added.
Peat-Free Mushrooms
The new mushroom SKU features ‘Grown without Peat’ on the packaging and is available in more than 200 Sainsbury’s stores across the country.
The first peat-free mushrooms will be White Closed Cup 300g and White Baby Button 200g variants.
Richard Crampton, director of fresh food at Sainsbury’s, stated, “At Sainsbury’s, we’re committed to playing our part in enabling and driving a resilient and sustainable food system, including protecting nature and reducing carbon to net zero. Our new peat-free mushrooms will help us to get another step closer to achieving these goals in our supply chain.
“We’re proud to be the first supermarket in the UK to bring peat-free mushrooms to our customers, who want easy ways to make more responsible choices when buying food, without compromising on quality. This wouldn’t have been possible without the work of our partner Monaghan who spent 10 years coming up with the alternative.”
Production Process
Mushrooms are typically grown in two layers of material – first a layer of natural compost and then a layer of peat.
Sainsbury’s peat-free mushrooms are grown with an innovative sustainable substrate made from recycled natural materials.
Developed in partnership with Sainsbury’s long-term mushroom supplier Monaghan, the new process will reduce the use of 20,465 tonnes of peat from mushroom production per year.
Peat a natural carbon storer and its extraction for growing products such as mushrooms is impacting wetland ecosystems and contributing to climate change.
'Climate Impact'
Noel Hegarty, chief commercial officer at Monaghan, said, “At Monaghan, we are committed to lowering our climate impact across every facet of our operations.
”Although mushrooms already have a low carbon footprint in comparison to other foods, we want to take this further with our journey to net zero. Peat-free mushrooms are a huge step forward with that ambition.”
Sainsbury’s also claims to have launched Vitamin D enhanced white mushrooms after it launched vitamin-enhanced chestnut mushrooms in 2018 in the UK.
The retailer has pledged to achieve Net Zero across its own operations by 2035, and supply chain by 2050.
