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Neil Munns/PA Wire
UK News

Christian charity welcomes supermarket plan to aid food banks.

They are not discount stickers, instead, they sit on shelves in front of food and drink items that are the most useful to food banks. This includes tinned vegetables and UHT milk.

A trial of these new labels in Exeter led to a three-fold rise in donations to local charities.

 

This scheme is due to be rolled out to 1,400 Sainsbury's.

Matt Marney is a foodbank manager for the Trussel Trust in Exeter, he told Premier the scheme has been successful as the labels on products remind customers to pick up an item while they are shopping, rather than only remember at the checkout.

"This method makes it easier for you, and it's an easier reminder for you to drop it in [your basket], knowing that's going directly to someone in your area that will be in need of it," he said.

Neil Munns/PA Wire
(Left to right) Abdelkader Jemal Awol, Matthew Turner, Amber Broad, Isabel Clarkson, Callum Pardoe and Rhys Johnson with their 'priority item' label at Sainsbury's in Exeter, which they created.

Customers will be encouraged to include priority items in their shopping for donation and Marney told Premier the items foodbanks are looking for may change from month to month.

He explained: "At the moment it might be something like fruit juice, long life milk, sponge cake puddings, but that changes and that means the supermarket can adapt rather than the donor having to check in every time to see where they can be most needed.

"It's really being able to target the priority items that we want, and that makes a huge difference in terms of planning, and it makes sure we are able to meet the needs of people who need to use the food bank."

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