Waitrose has become the first UK retailer to begin selling Lasting Leaf – a new brand of bagged lettuce which is guaranteed to stay fresh for two days longer than standard bags of salad once opened.
The new product has been designed to help reduce food waste and come after several year’s research by supplier Natures Way Foods (NWF).
The secret behind Lasting Leaf’s extended shelf life is a traditional method known as ‘blanching’ which is used by chefs around the world to wash and refresh iceberg lettuce and other hardy leaves.
According to NWF, washing hardy leaves in warm and then cold water immediately after being cut helps delay the pinking process that occurs when oxygen comes into contact with the cut surfaces of pre-packed leaves ( i.e. as soon as a bag of lettuce is opened), thus enabling the leaves to stay fresher for longer.
Commenting on the launch, Waitrose buyer Rhonwen Cunningham said: “As the salad season is getting into full swing there is already a demand from our customers for a longer lasting bagged salad in tandem with our desire to promote the reduction of food waste .”
“As its leaves stay crisper and retain their natural colour for longer it will offer better value for money for our customers because they have more time to use each bag.”
Two lines of Lasting Leaf – a 300g pack of Iceberg Lettuce and a 250g pack of Sweet and Crunchy Lettuce containing iceberg, romaine, carrot and cabbage – are available at Waitrose stores across the country and will remain exclusive to the supermarket chain for one year.
