Lidl launches new food label to help struggling families with the cost of living

Lidl has become the first major supermarket to launch a label that will help struggling families with the cost of living.

The low-cost supermarket chain has introduced the 'Good to Give' trustmark on 30 of its food items in order to diversify the food families receive if they have to use food banks.

All food donations are greatly received but often donations that come in from kind-hearted shoppers can be from the same food group [grains like bread, cereal, pasta] or have a high sugar / calorie content [sweets and chocolate] and make it difficult for families to make a balanced and nutritious meal.

So now those donating will be able to easily identify which other foods might be 'Good to Give' to those in need and also families on low income will be able to see what different low-cost foods could help keep them healthy when on a food budget - and this combined with their low cost recipes will make cooking less of an expensive chore.

It comes after 87% of charities reported needing a wider range of food types to be donated so that the recipients could get a healthy, balanced diet. And Lidl decided to consult with Neighbourly – a platform that connects surplus food with local good causes - to find a solution to the problem.

It is hoped that the clearly marked labels, which can be found in store, will prompt shoppers to purchase knowing that not only is the food nutritional but it also has a long-term shelf life, which will reduce waste and mean that families can stock up on the food.

Among the items being flagged up as Good to Give include tinned fruit, lentils, mackerel, noodles and brown rice.

It's hoped that once shoppers have picked up and paid for the items, that they will drop them at food donation points located after the check-outs in Lidl stores, so that the supermarket can deliver them to the food banks.

Ryan McDonnell, chief executive officer at Lidl GB, said: “At Lidl, we’re committed to making good food accessible to everyone and now, more than ever, it’s important that we stay true to this.

“We’ve been listening to feedback from our charity partners on how we can best support them at this time.

Mr McDonnell added, "Through these conversations it became clear we can play a leading role in helping those relying on food banks to maintain a more nutritious, balanced diet by encouraging our customers to donate a little differently.

“We hope that more retailers will adopt the ‘Trustmark’ so that we can work together as an industry to help more people access the balanced and nutritious diet that they need.”

The full Good to Give items:

• Freshona Pickled Gherkins Reduced Salt 720ml
• Italian Cherry Tomatoes 425ml
• Freshona Crinkle Cut Beetroot Salt Reduced 720ml
• Freshona Marrowfat Processed Peas 300g
• Freshona Sweetcorn Super Sweet 425ml
• Freshona Garden Peas 425ml
• Freshona Sliced Mushrooms 314ml
• Freshona Petit Pois & Baby Carrots 425ml
• Freshona Pineapple Slices in Juice 580ml
• Freshona Mandarin Segments in Juice 314ml
• Crownfield Wholegrain Mini Wheats 500g
• Crownfield Wheat Biscuits (36) 720g
• Taste Of… Basmati Rice 1kg
• Taste Of… Brown Rice 1kg
• Langkorn Long Grain Rice 1kg
• Simply Peeled Potatoes 580ml
• Rowan Hill Bakery Part Baked Rolls 300g
• Rowan Hill Bakery Burger Buns 6 Piece 300g
• Couscous 1kg
• Vitasia Medium Ready to Wok Noodles
• Freshona Cannellini Beans / Butter Beans 400g
• Nixe Skipjack Tuna 400g
• Freshona Red Kidney Beans 425ml
• Freshona Chickpeas in Water 425ml
• Freshona Mixed Beans in Water 425ml
• Nixe Mackerel in Sunflower Oil 125ml
• Tower Gate All Butter Shortbread Fingers 210g
• Tower Gate Choclate Chip cookies 200g
• Dairy Manor UHT Semi Skimmed Milk 1.5% 1l
• Vemondo Oat Milk 1l