What's the beef? Sainsbury’s raises the steaks with lower carbon beef

The updated Taste the Difference products, initially available in just over 60 stores from today, will form the largest lower carbon beef range in the entire UK

Carbon emissions have been reduced through factors such as superior cattle breeding and animal management

The industry-first process has been developed to provide greater security and stability to farmers

Following a decade of development and five years of production, Sainsbury’s is launching a new Taste the Difference Aberdeen Angus range which could revolutionise how beef is produced in the UK. The reinvigorated range will offer a 25% lower carbon footprint compared to industry standard, making it the largest low carbon beef range ever produced in the UK.

Sainsbury’s has developed the range by bringing together its dairy and beef supply chains, reducing carbon through a combination of superior cattle breeding and animal management. Measures such as strictly monitored feed and living conditions mean that healthy calves are raised in the most efficient way possible, needing less time and energy to grow, in turn emitting fewer harmful gases.

With taste at the forefront of the development, the updated Taste the Difference range will initially feature 16 customer favourites including 12% and 5% fat mince, 30 day rib eye steak and a 30 day beef roasting joint. The beef is produced in Britain using only Aberdeen Angus cattle, which allows the retailer to breed healthy, hardy animals that are naturally suited to a grass and forage diet, producing more consistent beef with a richer flavour and absolutely exquisite tenderness.

As well as being better for the planet, Sainsbury’s has made sure the new process will offer benefits for farmers with fixed, forward pricing providing greater security and stability. The retailer also equips farms with advanced free-of-charge technology which generates in-depth data to help them make better farm management decisions.

Customers will be able to find the lower carbon Taste the Difference Aberdeen Angus beef range in new vibrant packaging in over 60 stores from Monday 18th September, with a nationwide expansion to come in time.

Gavin Hodgson, Director of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Horticulture at Sainsbury’s, said: “More of our customers want high quality beef with a lower carbon footprint and that’s why we’ve invested many years of research and development into transforming how we produce it.

“Our updated lower carbon premium beef range not only tastes great but is also positive news for our farmers too, who will benefit from more security and stability, supporting the future growth of UK agriculture. We’re excited about the possibilities this move could hold for the future of farming in the UK.”

Ruth Cranston, Director of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at Sainsbury’s, said: “We know that more customers are wanting to make responsible choices when buying food so we sought to find a solution which gave them high quality, great tasting beef which is lower carbon. By creating 25% lower carbon emissions, this launch is another step forward in Sainsbury’s ambition to become Net Zero across its own operations by 2035, and value chain by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement’s aim of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C.

“This launch also shows what can be achieved through genuine collaboration with farmers and suppliers. No one else has been able to produce a lower carbon beef range on this scale and we hope this launch will set a leadership example of what is possible in the industry.

”Sainsbury’s has developed the new Taste the Difference beef range with its long-standing supplier and beef processor, ABP Food Group.

"Earlier this month Sainsbury’s announced it is investing an additional £6m annually into its dairy farmers, including giving them an extra 1p per litre on top of the independently calculated Cost of Production price of milk. The ongoing investment follows an £8.9m booster payment to dairy farmers last April and adds to the £66m given in support for farmers in total across the last year.

"Sainsbury’s has also already made efforts to reduce plastic in its meat ranges, such as removing the plastic trays from its steaks and becoming the first UK retailer to vacuum pack all beef mince, delivering a 70% and 50% plastic saving respectively."

www.sainsburys.co.uk

Top Ten Low Carbon Swaps Revealed Following UK First Food Footprint Report

Smashed avocado, granola and tofu are staples for the Millennial diet but the true carbon cost of popular foods has been revealed in a world first report by UK food-tech startup, Foodsteps.

The landmark report, The Food Footprint 100, reveals the carbon footprint of Millennial favourites avocado (2.62 kg CO2e per 1kg), granola (2.21 kg CO2e) and tofu (3.39 kg CO2e).

The hidden carbon impact of 100 of the UK's most popular foods have been revealed for the first time ever looking at the entire lifecycle of the food from “cradle to grave”.

 Foodsteps has taken the data and recommended some easy low carbon food swaps based off their report findings:

Chocolate swaps: Swap milk chocolate (4.24 kg CO2e) for dark chocolate (3.03 kg CO2e) with carbon saving of 28.5%. This is due to the carbon intensive milk powder in milk chocolate. 

Seafood swaps: Save a huge 79% in carbon footprint savings by swapping prawns (22.70 kg CO2e) for cod (4.74 kg CO2e)

Dessert swaps: Swap baked vanilla cheesecake (4.15 kg CO2e) for a less carbon heavy alternative lemon sponge cake (2.74 kg CO2e), with a decrease of 34%

Pudding swaps: Swap dairy ice cream (5.46 kg CO2e) for custard (4.29kg CO2e) saving over 20%

Yogurt swaps: Swap dairy yogurt (1.96 kg CO2e) for coconut yogurt (1.63 kg CO2e) saving over 16%

Sausage swaps: Swap pork sausage (9.45 CO2e) vs plant based sausages (2.34 CO2e) a massive saving of 75% less carbon footprint

Meat swaps: Swap pork (10.45 kg CO2e) for chicken (9.24 kg CO2e) for a XX% carbon saving

Fruit swaps: The lowest carbon way to get your 5 a day pulled from the report: orange (0.45 kg CO2e), kiwi (0.99 kg CO2e), banana (0.86 kg CO2e), pineapple (0.55 kg CO2e) and apple (0.47 kg CO2e)

Vegetable swaps: An addition to your low carbon 5 a day pulled from the report: Potatoes (0.66kg CO2e), carrots (0.56 kg CO2e), pumpkins (0.45 kg CO2e), onions (0.6 kg CO2e), cauliflower (0.81 kg CO2e).

Wine swaps: Red wine (2.13 kg CO2e) replaces it's heavier counterpart white wine (3.25 kg CO2e)

Oil swaps: Swap olive oil (4.73 CO2e) for rapeseed oil (3.56 CO2e)

The report was created using data from the Foodsteps database which lists 1,000s of peer-reviewed scientific studies alongside primary research and using foods identified using the annual UK National Dietary and Nutritional Survey (NDNS). 

The 100 foods have been analysed across their full life-cycle; production, subsequent supply chain up to and including the shop, transport to the place of consumption, preparation including home storage, cooking and end-of-life disposal impacts of any food waste at any point.

 According to this report the farm stage, on average, has by far the highest impact on foods, emphasising the importance of looking at the origins and methods of farming behind our food. 

Says Founder and CEO of Foodsteps, Anya Doherty: “Making small changes to our daily diet could make a huge difference to our carbon footprint

“We provide environmental impact assessments for food to turn into climate actions. We urgently need to decarbonise our food choices, and this can't happen without food businesses leading the way and consumers making informed choices.”

Foodsteps uses its innovative platform to offer data and communication solutions for food businesses looking to measure, report, reduce and communicate their food's environmental overall impact. Over the last year, Foodsteps has worked with household names like SKY, Pizza Express, Ask Italian and Wagamama.

For more information about Foodsteps visit https://www.foodsteps.earth.