Lidl has debuted a new fibre strategy to increase the total sales of fibre and wholegrain across its product offerings and boost UK consumption.

The initiative will see the discounter introduce two key targets; to increase the tonnage of fibre and the volume of wholegrain, sold by 2026 and 2030 respectively. The discounter aims to increase the proportion of plant-based foods it sells by 20% by 2030.

Lidl said the new initiative, which comes as the first retailer to introduce such strategies, is designed to increase UK consumers’ fibre consumption by increasing the supermarket’s range of affordable products. Currently, only 9% of UK adults meet the recommended daily intake of 30g of fibre, with lower-income households consuming even less.

It is understood that as part of its new targets, the discounter will be working with suppliers to enhance existing recipes by incorporating more plant-based, fibre-rich ingredients, such as lentils, beans, and grains, while also reducing fats and sugars.

The supermarket added that its reward app, Lidl Plus, is to also play a major role in meeting these targets, following the success of recent promotions, which had led to almost doubled sales of fibre-rich products.

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Alongside the new fibre sales targets, the retailer has partnered with WWF to implement a Planet-Based Diets methodology internationally across all 31 countries the supermarket chain operates in.

The methodology will be used to measure and report on its product assortments and sales as it searches to improve its customer offerings in environmentally conscious products.

Lidl GB chief commercial officer Richard Bourns said: “As the first UK retailer to align its strategy with the science of the Planetary Health Diet, Lidl is committed to supporting healthy and sustainable diets and setting ambitious targets to ensure our food is good for both people and the planet.

“We stand firmly behind the need for sustainable consumption as part of the net-zero transition and are committed to offering our customers an ever-expanding range of healthy, sustainable products at affordable prices. With WWF as an experienced partner by our side, we aim to make a greater impact on transforming the global food system—and hope that other supermarkets will follow suit.”

Lidl’s latest update comes after it first announced a new-five year international and strategic partnership with WWF in June last year, a year after becoming the first discounter to sign the global environmental charity’s Retailers’ Commitment for Nature agreement.