Scottish Daily Mail

MP’s beef with Tesco over packaging ‘con’

- By Sean Poulter Consumer Affairs Editor

TESCO has been accused of ‘cynical’ packaging after it used a labelling trick to make a pack of beef appear twice the size.

James Cleverly, Tory MP for Braintree, bought what he thought was a single joint of short ribs. However when he took the label off, he was shocked to find a gap between two small pieces of meat.

He tweeted Tesco to say: ‘Hey @Tesco I think this packaging is a bit cynical. If there is a good reason for that big gap I’m happy to hear it.’ He included images of the pack before and after the label had been removed. A Tesco spokesman defended its approach, insisting that the price and weight of its products were always clearly labelled.

He added: ‘With this product, due to the thickness of the ribs, there needs to be a gap between each piece to ensure that a proper seal occurs to guarantee freshness and quality.’

In January, the Mail revealed how supermarke­ts used oversize packaging to mislead shoppers.

Products included salmon fillets, packs of fresh cod, steaks and sushi. Marks & Spencer has previously been criticised for selling plastic packs of sliced cauliflowe­r as ‘cauliflowe­r steak’.

 ??  ?? Mind the gap: The Tesco British beef short ribs appear to be one large joint of meat – until it is opened
Mind the gap: The Tesco British beef short ribs appear to be one large joint of meat – until it is opened
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