Tesco’s tonnes of waste

FOOD waste from Britain’s biggest supermarket increased last year to 59,400 tonnes – the equivalent of 119m meals.

The rise seen by Tesco came despite a series of initiatives to tackle the problem, including donating huge quantities to food banks.

The figure represents a 4 per cent increase on 2015 with its beers, wines and spirits aisles and bakeries blamed for the rise.

The amount wasted was the equivalent of one in every 100 food products sold by Tesco during the last financial year. The food most commonly thrown away is from the bakery department, followed by fresh fruit and vegetables and convenience items like prepackaged sandwiches and salads.

The French parliament has voted for a new law that makes it illegal for supermarkets to dump food, and campaigners in the UK are calling for a similar law in this country.

The new figures from Tesco came as its chief executive Dave Lewis issued a call for collective action to tackle food waste from farms to supermarket operations and customers’ homes.