A new product range dubbed ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ established by Tesco Ireland has saved almost 300t of “perfectly good” onions from being composted or going to waste.

Tesco, while working with its long-term supplier Country Crest, launched the first product in its new range of fruit and vegetable today.

The first product in the range to grace supermarket shelves will be Irish onions, which have grown beyond normal specification due to the overly wet weather experienced in early autumn, according to Tesco.

Despite growing conditions being relatively good this year, the recent spell of wet weather led to a delayed harvest with crop growth above normal specification for Irish onions, the retailer explained.

However, the technical teams at both Country Crest and Tesco came together to come up with a solution to prevent unnecessary food waste. Country Crest supplies Tesco stores with approximately 3,000t of Irish onions annually.

Commenting on the launch of the new range, Tesco Ireland’s Tracey McDermott said: “At Tesco, we’ve no time for waste. From time-to-time across the year, customers will see our Perfectly Imperfect range that will contain vegetables that may have been wasted on farms, but will now be on offer to our customers at low prices.

“These Irish onions are grown for Tesco by Country Crest, who have been supplier partners of Tesco for over 20 years.

Grown with the same care and attention as with all Country Crest grown products, they are slightly off specification; the skin on some of the onions has been affected a little more than normal by autumn weather, although they remain perfect on the inside.

“This is good news for our customers; good news for our suppliers; and great news in the fight against food waste. This is our first ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ range to launch in Ireland; we’re proud of the work we’ve done in this area; and we’re committed to doing more to help customers to buy great quality, healthy produce at affordable prices,” McDermott concluded.

Tesco Ireland’s ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ Irish onion three pack will be available in all stores nationwide. The packs will be on promotion at 49c while stocks last over the next ten days.