Supermarket chain Carrefour has become the first in France to be granted the French Government’s national ‘anti-food waste’ label.
Testing, inspection and certification auditor Bureau Veritas applied a top-rated (three-star) label to Carrefour’s Montesson hypermarché store for its ‘exemplary’ waste management procedures and use of technology to improve the efficiency of stock ordering processes.
Valid for three years, the rating recognizes best practice in the following the areas: procurement and purchase of food merchandise from suppliers; marketing of food items in stores; and managing unsold stock and donations.
The Montesson site was awarded the top status thanks, in part, to a mobile app used exclusively by Carrefour designed to manage and sort on-shelf products as they approach their expiry dates. As a result, explains the retailer, food waste in the Montesson branch has been reduced by 8%.
The supermarket aims to obtain the label across a total of 20 stores by December – a goal it says is in line with its ambition of cutting food waste in half by 2025.
The company sees the distinction as recognition of its ‘long commitment to reducing food waste’ which includes a partnership with food bank organization Banques Alimentaires, dating back to 1995, and ten million Too Good To Go baskets sold in-store.
“Tackling food waste is at the core of our commitment to the food transition and our Carrefour 2026 strategic plan. It is absolute proof that tackling inflation and facilitating the food transition are eminently compatible. It is our responsibility as a retailer to innovate and to get our partners involved in this initiative so as to meet our customers’ expectations. Thanks to this label issued by Bureau Veritas, we can raise the level of our commitments and align them with the very best practices. Our aim is to get the whole industry involved alongside us with this initiative,” comments Alexandre Bompard (pictured right), CEO, the Carrefour Group.
“Food waste is a major challenge in today’s society,” adds Didier Michaud Daniel (pictured left), CEO, Bureau Veritas. “We work alongside organizations wanting to demonstrate their commitments through transparent and credible initiatives. Carrefour being awarded this label is evidence of the Group’s desire to change our patterns of consumption by meeting society’s new expectations.”
