Tesco puts strategy in place to grow healthy eating options

Tesco, one of the largest chains in the United Kingdom, is putting a priority on healthy eating, including an expansion of its plant-based assortment and reformulating many of its products to be healthier.

The retailer said it is putting plans in place now through 2025, focusing on three key areas. First, in alignment with recommendations by the United Kingdom’s nutrient profiling model, Tesco will increase sales of healthy products, as a proportion of total sales, to 65% by 205. It’s currently at a 58% rate.

The retailer also said it will increase sales of plant-based meat alternatives by 300% by 2025, and it will increase the percentage of ready-made meals available to 66% by 2025, a jump from 50% currently and 26% in 2018.

To reformulate options, Tesco’s goal is to remove billions of calories and thousands of tons of salt, fat and sugar from products, without impacting taste, as part of a rolling program of reformulation. Since 2018, Tesco has already removed more than 50 billion calories from its products, focusing on some of the categories which contribute the most calories, such as the ready meals program, biscuits, pies and cakes.

Tesco also aims to increase promotions on healthy products, build from its successful Helpful Little Swaps events, which encourage customers to try healthier alternatives to family foods at the same price.

Lastly, new product development from the retailer will bring healthier options to shelves, including the launch of new store brand ranges, as well as reviewing the prominence and the amount of space dedicated to healthier products in stores.

“Customers are telling us they want to eat a more healthy, sustainable diet, but without having to stretch the weekly shopping budget,” said Tesco Group CEO Ken Murphy. “By making even very small changes to the items they put in their basket week in week out, we can help them make that change.”