I've received a response from Tesco concerning labelling and this is their reply:
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my previous email.
I appreciate that labelling the products which contain Palm Oil would be very beneficial to you and certainly help you in making your choices as to which products you can buy. Regrettably, this is not something we have any plans for at present.
However I can see from your email that you are finding it easier to purchase products from other retailers as they have the information that you need. I will be sure to pass on your further comments to our Head Office to let them know that the lack of information is causing you to shop elsewhere and this is something which will be looked at when planning future labelling reviews.
I would like to thank you again for taking the time to respond and if you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact me again.
I have written to them again asking if my Tesco own brand hair mousse contains palm oil as I've run out and the ingredients are confusing - if I were buying this from the Co-Op's own brand, I could be sure it was palm oil free because of their honest labelling policy.
Additionally, I have read this article on Nature Watch (warning: website contains some upsetting photographs of orangutans in distress) and so, whilst I was writing to Tesco, have asked if they are adding palm oil to their diesel. Our car is diesel so I'll have to find out where my husband fills up and see if they are adding palm oil to their diesel.
There have been replies about toothpaste but I am having to write back for clarification on some points so will report on toothpaste when I've got conclusive points to make. At present though it's not looking good and as toothpaste is something I would be very loath to be without, I think I may fail to find an alternative but I'll keep you posted!
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Congratulations on your tenacity and passion! I loved reading about all the research you have done - even on toothpaste. We have written on Cadbury introducing palm oil into its chocolate in NZ and Australia - but now it is reversing that decision. Yehoo for people power.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the blog. Your work highlighting companies who are using palm oil is rare and very important. It would be great to support communities producing truly sustainable palm oil directly, but it seems pressure from organisations like Friends of the Earth is the only avenue available. Saving the rainforests has to be all our number one green priority! Top bananas!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much both of you for your words of encouragement. Although the Cadbury thing was a victory, it isn't here in the UK. Cadbury may have backed down in NZ and Australia but over here, we STILL have chocolate with palm oil in it. I have a note to complain to Cadbury about that. Sometimes I think I'm on my own in this as so few people comment here! I'm not giving up (there will be more postings soon) but I wish British people were as vocal as those down under so we could get similar results.
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