Home > Press releases > 2000
16 Jun 2000
Friends of the Earth today publishes a major survey of British supermarkets,
rating each major High Street name against key "Real Food" tests.
We graded each supermarket on:
Top place goes to Waitrose, which scores 8 out of 12 possible marks, followed closely by Iceland and Asda. Bottom place goes to budget chain Netto, which scored no points at all. But a surprise low spot also goes to Tesco, which scored only 2 out of 12. On removal of dangerous pesticides such as Lindane from their products, Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencers, Safeway, Somerfield and Tesco all scored zero.
[Full results and details of scoring system here]
As part of Real Food Week (16th to 25th June), FOE has issued its supporters
and members of the public with a Supermarket
Challenge Card, which can be posted in any supermarket suggestion
box or handed in at checkouts. The Challenge Card asks the supermarket
to improve its Real Food performance.
Commenting, FOE Real Food Campaigner Sandra Bell said:
"When it comes to food, the consumer rules. Supermarkets cannot afford to ignore the growing demand for Real Food. People want affordable food, free of GM ingredients and dangerous chemical residues - at a fair price. Our survey - and other evidence we will be publishing during Real Food Week - suggests that the supermarkets have a long way to go to meet public demands. Those that don't may find that customers simply move their business."
|
Rank |
Supermarket |
GM Food |
Pesticides |
Organic |
Total |
|
1st |
Waitrose |
2 |
3 |
3 |
8 |
|
2nd |
Asda |
3 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
|
Iceland |
3 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
|
|
4th |
Marks & Spencer |
3 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
|
5th |
Co-op |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
|
Sainsbury's |
2 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
|
|
7th |
Safeway |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
8th |
Morrisons |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Somerfield |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
Tesco |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
11th |
Aldi |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
12th |
Netto |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
GM Food - scored out of 4 for their provision of GM-free meat and diary |
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|
Pesticides - scored out of 4 for their commitment to removing dangerous pesticides |
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|
Organic - scored out of 4 for their commitment to promoting organic food |
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|
|
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Full details of REAL FOOD WEEK are available from FOE. Check
out our website: www.realfoodweek.com
We will have local actions by over 80 groups in the following counties:
Avon, Beds, Berks, Bucks, Carmarthenshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, County
Durham, Cumbria, Devon, Dorset, Essex, Gloucs, Hants, Herts, Kent, Lancs,
Leics, Lincs, London, Merseyside, Notts, Newcastle, Norfolk, Oxon, Salops,
S. Gloucs. S. Glamorgan Surrey, Warks, W. Midlands, Wilts, Worcs, Yorkshire.
[NB: 5 groups have already done actions but are available for stories,
pictures and comment: Chinnor and Thame, Aylesbury Vale, Hackney, North
Lancashire and Nuneaton]
Groups will ask customers to challenge their supermarket to provide
them with real food (Supermarket challenge action). Many groups
will also help shoppers find where they can buy local, fair-trade or organic
food in the town and surrounding area (we call this an "our town is
a supermarket" action).
We have an ISDN LINE for interviews.
We have offices and experts in every English Region, in Wales and
in Northern Ireland
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
