Waitrose is rolling out a new range of bagged lettuce it claims can stay fresh for up to a week.

The supermarket claimed its Lasting Leaf own-label range was an innovation that would by help tackle food waste.

Available from today at 180 Waitrose stores, the British-sourced lettuces have been blanched – washed in hot water followed by cold water – prior to packaging in a bid to prolong their freshness.

“There is already a demand for a longer-lasting bagged salad in tandem with our desire to promote the reduction of food waste,” buyer Rhonwen Cunningham told the Daily Mail.

“Blanching is an easy technique that many cooks use to keep vegetables crisp and tender and has been employed in kitchens for decades as it preserves texture, colour and flavour.

“It’s not suitable for all vegetables, which is why we’ve chosen hardier leaves like iceberg and romaine.”

Read more
Focus On Fresh Produce (15 May 2010)
Waitrose rolls with waste for electricity (20 February 2010)

Topics