Coop, one of the largest supermarket chains in Switzerland, has confirmed that it will start selling soon-to-expire meat at a 50 percent discount. The company said the move is designed to combat food waste and provide an affordable alternative for customers.

Coop to pilot selling "expired" meat

In a statement, Coop confirmed that it would be launching a pilot project where it will sell soon-to-expire meat for bargain basement prices. The idea will be trialled in 16 stores in German-speaking Switzerland, mainly in the northwest and central cantons, and Zurich. 

Under the plans, if a fresh meat product is not sold on the day it is due to expire, workers will flash freeze the meat by midnight. This meat will then be sold in the frozen food aisle for an extra 90 days for half the original price, though the “quality will remain impeccable,” the company assured.

5.000 tonnes of meat thrown away in Switzerland each year

Coop explained that the measure is designed to both ease prices for those tackling the cost of living and combat food waste in Switzerland. According to the Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs, 5.000 tonnes of meat is thrown away in Switzerland every year in the supermarket and retail sector alone. These findings pushed the government to advise local authorities and companies on new ways to sell produce before it expires.

Indeed, the frozen meat idea is not a new phenomenon: Denner also freezes expiring meat before delivering it to Caritas charity grocery stores where it is sold at a 66 percent discount. Commenting on food waste across Swiss cities and cantons, Caritas director Thomas Künzler told 20 Mintuen that “in German-speaking Switzerland, the [frozen meat] quantities in our grocery stores are sufficient for almost three days of supply.” 

Eat frozen meat within a day of buying, says Swiss Meat Association

However, according to the Swiss Meat Association Proviande, regular freezers at home are not cold enough to store meat properly for long: “It freezes much too slowly and the quality suffers.” Therefore, they recommend that anyone who buys the soon-to-expire meat from Coop or Caritas consume it within 24 hours.

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