Tesco changes iceberg lettuce specs amid drought

Tesco has loosened its specificiations on iceberg lettuce to help growers battling the warm and dry conditions.

The long, hot summer has made lettuce production a challenge, and Tesco said it had changed its specs to allow growers to harvest them quicker so they retain their crispiness.

A spokesperson explained: “We have always been committed to supporting our growers through challenging seasons. Already this summer we have changed the size specification of our iceberg lettuces, so that growers can harvest them more quickly during the dry conditions.

”The more than 900,000 lettuces we sell every week are now picked up to two days earlier than before, which means they don’t wilt in the fields, and stay crisper for longer when customers get them home. Our longstanding collaborative relationships with our growers help us use as much of their crop as possible, offering great quality at a great price to our customers.

”We are visiting farms to understand the impact of the recent warm weather on crops, and will continue to support growers however we can – whether that’s through changes to specifications, adding to our Perfectly Imperfect range, or using the produce as an ingredient in other products such as ready meals instead.”

Tesco’s Perfectly Imperfect range currently features strawberries, potatoes, apples and pears, as well as iceberg lettuce.