Coop has announced it is the first retailer in Switzerland to offer apricot kernels as a sustainable snacking alternative to almonds.
The Swiss retailer has teamed up with start-up KernTec to process apricot stones, which are considered a waste product, into apricot kernels.
The apricot stones are washed, dried and separated into seeds and shell. Subsequently, the hydrocyanic acid content of the kernels is reduced, making them suitable for consumption.
Taste Like Almonds
Coop says the apricot kernels are comparable in taste and appearance to almonds and thus represent a sustainable snack option.
The roasted apricot kernels are rich in protein and unsaturated fatty acids, and are ideal as a snack or in muesli, it added.
Transparent Information
Last November, Coop was the first major Swiss retailer to commit to voluntary Eco-Score food labelling from Beelong. This provides transparent information about the environmental impact of a product and serves customers as an aid when shopping.
"The Eco-Score provides customers with transparent and comprehensive information about the environmental impact of a food. The ecological assessment serves as an uncomplicated assistance and orientation during purchasing," Andrea Kramer, head of marketing and procurement said at the time.
The Swiss retailer has more than 2,000 own-brand SKUs that are already labelled with the Eco-Score. It said that further evaluations of private label products will follow in the months to follow. The Eco-Score labelling is found both on product packaging and via its online platforms.
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest private-label news. Article by Robert McHugh. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
