Sainsbury's has defended its change to mince meat packaging, after a handful of consumers complained of it's appearance and it's alleged 'mush' texture when opened.
The leading supermarket introduced vacuum packed minced beef last month to all 1,400 stores across the UK - aiming to reduce plastic waste, citing that the new-look packets use 55 per cent less with regards to the man-made material.
Sainsbury's also say that the move will save 450 tonnes of plastic annually.
Read more: Sainsbury's shoppers 'feel like they've bought human kidney' with new meat packaging
The Mirror reports that the brand has also issued leaflets in-store, explaining the new packaging to consumers. However, shoppers haven't held back whatsoever on airing their grievances with the move and its reported effect on appearance and texture.
One social media said that they'd 'just bought someone’s kidney to cook at home' on the mince, while another complained that it looked like a 'rectangle of mushed cuts' which 'destroyed' the product. Others said that it felt 'squished together' and went 'lumpy in the pan', and described it as looking like it had 'been grown in a lab'.
Despite the backlash from frenzied customers, Sainsbury has stood by their move and subsequent initiative explaining they are 'always looking for new ways to innovate packaging' to meet 'ambitious plastic reduction targets'.
Richard Crampton, Director of Fresh Food at Sainsbury’s, said: “We know customers expect us to reduce plastic packaging and we are committed to making bold changes for our customers and the environment. This small change makes a big difference, more than halving the plastic used in our beef mince range and also reducing food waste.
"We are always listening to feedback and can see lots of our customers are already getting used to the change.”
Boss of retail consultancy Grocery Insight, told the BBC: "It's fair to say the change has not been well received, at all," adding that sustainability is important for customers. He continued: "This looks like a simple move that doesn't require the customers to do anything differently.
"But the packaging appears to have negatively affected the product quality which is clearly something that's impacted customers."
What do you make of the new packaging? Let us know in the comments section.
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