Grocers are divided over the Government’s threat to ban buy one, get one free offers in an effort to reduce food waste.

Morrisons – which reintroduced the bogof this summer – said “customers should be able to benefit from great value and quality”. The grocer stressed that it believes “supermarkets must help consumers understand better how to keep and store food in order to help reduce food waste”.

It highlighted its Great Taste, Less Waste campaign, which gives customers advice on how to use and store produce with “best kept” stickers on the items.

Tesco declined to comment, but pointed to the response from the BRC, which said retailers should be allowed to decide best policy as they know their customers better.

However, Asda ditched bogofs this February as it “wanted to show customers a simple clear price point as well as eliminate the waste that often occurs through these deals”.

 The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs this week demanded stores agree to a tough target on reducing food waste or face legislation that forces them to make savings, such as reducing packaging.

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