Selfridges has become the first major British retailer to make own-brand food free of palm oil.
The luxury department store achieved the milestone nine months ahead of target. The move is part of its long-term sustainability strategy, which aims to make 50% of its products more ethically and sustainably sourced by 2022.
Palm oil is present in more than half of supermarket products from food to cosmetics but only a small percentage is from an officially approved source, with much of the palm oil found in products on UK shelves contributing to deforestation in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.
Selfridges stocked palm-oil-free mince pies by value retailer Iceland last Christmas. The frozen-food specialist pledged to be 100% own-brand palm-oil-free by the end of last year but was unable to meet its self-imposed deadline.
Selfridges managing director Simon Forster said: “We’re committed to buying better to inspire change. The removal of palm oil from our Selfridges Selection range is the latest demonstration of this approach.
“We believe that until certified palm oil guarantees zero deforestation, our customers should be given the option to buy palm-oil-free products. Our expectation is that all brands we work with are aware of and actively engaging with the issues surrounding palm oil and deforestation.”
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