Sainbury's Taken To Court Over Excess Packaging

30 September 2010

Wide reports across national newspapers have suggested that supermarket Sainsbury's is being taken to court over excessive packaging on one of its beef roasting joints.

Trading Standards at Lincolnshire County Council are said to be claiming that the "supermarket has broken 2003 regulations" and that the investigation was carried out following consumer complaint.
It is reported that Peter Heafield, head of trading standards at Lincolnshire County Council, told the Lincolnshire Echo: "Lincolnshire County Council has a duty to enforce regulations, which require businesses to review and reduce their packaging so items are packaged only in a way that is necessary for issues such as protection of the product and consumer acceptance."

The Telegraph has said that Sainsbury's insiders said they were "dumbfounded" by the prosecution and a spokesman for the supermarket told the paper that: "We are surprised at the comments made by Lincolnshire County Council, which do not reflect the very positive outcome of our meeting with Lincolnshire's packaging team. In fact, we have been informed that the council, in light of that meeting, is currently looking again at whether it will proceed. We were particularly surprised, as the packaging of the product in question has been reduced by 53 percent since February and is set to be reduced by at least another 10 percent within the next few months."

Up until now there are said to have only been five cases brought under this legislation, all against very small companies. Sainsbury's reported to be the first supermarket to be prosecuted and faces a fine of between about £500 and £3,000.