The True Cost of Cheap Food

A dispatches investigation into how the supermarkets are cashing in on the credit crunch by encouraging the trading down to own label value lines.


I find myself drawn naturally to programs that slag supermarkets off (we all know it's fashionable to be anti-supermarket). I've worked in retail for more than 15 years, including more than 11 years working for an international retailer, so as a retail expert, you could say it's part of my job to keep an eye on programmes like this. I find myself usually both agreeing and disagreeing to the various points in the show, and the degree to which this happens depends greatly on the quality of the show.


This particular program is better than many other 'supermarkets are really bad' type shows. It was full of stats, many of which I captured and I've documented at the end of the post, and it's main point was that cheap food can be improved very easily and very cheaply, usually for less than 1 pence per sausage/apple pie/cheese slice.


It suggested that supermarkets should improve the quality and take the hit on their own margin. I'm not sure I agree with that and given that we're only talking about increasing the price of a pack of 8 value sausages by 8 pence, why should they. However, since that 8 pence produces a significantly better product, I rather think the show should have stressed the point that supermarkets should wherever possible, provide the best quality product. They're allowed to make a profit out of it.


I'm toying with the idea of doing a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and raising a motion at the Tesco AGM to force them to improve the quality of their sausages. If enough people comment on this post in favour of this action I'll do it. Pass this on to your friends...


Now for the stats

Beef Burgers
How much protein is their in premium vs economy burgers?? grams protein per 100g

Asda - premium 23, economy 20
Tesco - premium 23, economy 19
Iceland - premium 25, economy 18

Tomatoes
How much of the anti-oxidant lycopene in premium vs economy tomatoes??

Tesco - premium 5.5, economy 3.4
Asda - premium 6.5, economy 3.6
Sainsburys - premium 5.2, economy 3.6
Morrisons - premium 5.1, economy 4.1
Aldi - premium 5.1, economy 3.4
Lidl - economy 3.8
Iceland - premium 5.5, economy 3.3

Chicken breasts
The percentage of meat in chicken breasts.

Asda - 82%
Iceland - 85%
Morrisons - 88%
Tesco - 84%

The remaining percentage is made up of varying combinations of the following water, salt, stabilisers, dextrose, polyphosphate and liquid glucose.

Sausages
The percentage of protein in a sausage. (protein is an indication of meat content)

Tesco - premium 15.8, economy 11.2
Asda - n/a
Morrisons - premium14.3, economy 9.0
Sainsburys - premium 15.3, economy 8.3
Iceland - premium 12.0, economy 11.6
Aldi - n/a
Lidl - premium 15.3, economy 12.9