LIDL has made a big change to its stores after introducing “Good To Give” labels to flag the products most needed by food banks.
The change could help low-income households who rely on food banks to access a healthier and more diverse diet as food prices soar.
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Last month, inflation hit a 40-year-high of 9%, which spelled terrible news for household budgets.
As a result of soaring prices, more people are in need of help from organisations such as food banks.
But according to research by Neighbourly, a platform that connects surplus food with local charities, around 87% of charities reported needing a wider range of foods to be donated.
So the Good to Give scheme, which launched this week on June 9, was developed by Lidl in partnership with Neighbourly, to make healthier choices more accessible to everyone.
So far, Lidl has given 30 products a Good to Give label based on the NHS Eatwell Guide.
The new visible signage on shelves will help shoppers identify which items are the best to donate to charities.
Once purchased, the Good to Give items can be dropped at food donation points located past the checkouts in Lidl stores nationwide.
The donations are collected regularly by local food banks and community projects.
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Full list of 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 and 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 six 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
Lidl told The Sun that it will review the selection of products carrying the Good to Give Trustmark on an ongoing basis.
Over the next six months, it will also be collecting findings on food donation levels, the variation of products donated, and how the scheme is received by customers.
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 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.”
We explain how to donate to or seek help from food banks in the UK.
If you can’t access help from a food bank, there are other ways to get support with groceries.
Healthy Start Vouchers
Healthy Start Vouchers can be used to buy healthier foods, such as plain cows’ milk, infant formula milk, plain fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables.
They are for pregnant people and people who are responsible for children under four years old.
Earlier this year, the government introduced a change to the way Healthy Start vouchers are issued.
Families are now offered a prepaid card instead of paper vouchers, which will be topped up every four weeks.
The scheme gives families £4.25 a week or double if their child is under 12 months old.
We explain all you need to know about eligibility and applying for Healthy Start Vouchers here.
Household Support Fund
The Household Support Fund (HSF) started in October 2021 and was set to last for six months only, but has since been extended.
The scheme intends to help vulnerable UK residents pay for essentials.
A pot of £500million has been dished out to local councils across the country.
Each council has the power to choose how it dishes out its portion of the funding.
In the past, many councils have opted for one-off payments, fuel or food vouchers.
You can find out what help is available to you as part of the HSF by contacting your local authority or checking its website.
And you can find your local authority by putting your postcode into the gov.uk council checker tool.
Meanwhile, we reveal all the support those on benefits can get this year – including help for rent and energy bill grants.
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