Aldi is to trial selling vacuum and flow-wrap packed beef mince to cut the amount of plastic packaging used by up to 73%.
The test will determine which packaging customers prefer, as well as help the discount grocer to further reduce plastic waste.
The new packaging removes the need for a paper lining, while using no carbon dioxide in production.
It is also expected to increase the shelf life of beef mince by keeping it fresher for longer.
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Currently, the vacuum packaging trial has gone live across select stores in Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, the West Midlands and Worcestershire, with the flow-wrap trail to be rolled out in the same areas in November.
Aldi plastics and packaging director, Luke Emery, said: “At Aldi we are constantly reviewing ways to become more environmentally friendly and reduce plastic where possible.
“These trials promise a range of environmental benefits without affecting quality and could lead to significant reductions in plastic, food miles and food waste if rolled out across all stores.”
Sainsbury’s was the first retailer to roll out vacuum-sealed meat packaging earlier this year, however many customers were left unhappy with the product, claiming it ‘destroys’ the beef when opened.
In March, one shopper posted to Twitter that the mincemeat now resembles “mush, dog food or mince the texture of a single giant burger”.
Despite this, Co-op has adopted vacuum packaging across 11 mince meat products, while Lidl followed in June, having also introduced vacuum-packed, recyclable packaging across its beef mince range.
