Tesco has unveiled a new weapon in the quest to allay health concerns about eating cheese with the launch of a Cheddar-style cheese that is 30% lower in both fat and salt than conventional Cheddar.
The medium-strength cheese – sold under Tesco own label – is produced by Joseph Heler and went on sale in Tesco stores today.
It contains 0.4g of salt and 6.3g of fat (of which 4.3g are satfat) per 30g portion of cheese. This compares with 0.6g of salt and 10.5g of fat (6.5g satfat) for a 30g portion of Tesco’s conventional British medium Cheddar.
The launch comes after Tesco listed a reduced-salt mild Cheddar cheese made by Heler in April.
Tesco had worked closely with Heler for many years and was continually impressed with its “tireless” innovation and NPD, said Tesco buyer David Chamberlain. “When presented with the product, we instantly saw the potential of the reduced fat and salt cheese and strived to get it on our shelves as quickly as possible.”
Tesco wanted to help consumers in search of healthier options without restricting their choice, he added. “We’re always on the lookout for products that support this intention and the more cutting edge, the better.”
In May, Tesco CEO Philip Clarke unveiled plans to ramp up the promotion, availability and innovation of healthier foods in store, flagging salt reduction as one area in which Tesco had already made “great strides”.
In 2001, Heler won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise when it launched a 3% fat cheese.
No comments yet