New group seeks growth in bulk foods

Rising food prices in the last 18 months have put pressure on consumers’ grocery bills and, at the same time, awareness of the carbon footprint of the food supply chain has been steadily increasing.

Bulk is Green believes that the availability of more foods in large, in store containers, from which consumers serve the precise quantities they require, will help reduce the amount of packaging and the impact of transporting that packaging – as well as keeping down grocery bills and cutting down on food waste.

The movement is the brain child of a group of executives from the natural foods sector. But Jim Clemens, executive director of the Bulk is Green Council told FoodNavigator-USA.com that the aim is to grow the movement so that the bulk option is presented in more mainstream retailers as well.

“Bulk gives the option to buy in precisely the quantity the consumer wants,”​ he told FoodNavigator-USA.com, “Not the quantity determined by the packaging.​

“For example, a consumer can buy one serving of pasta or, if they have a large family, a kilo of rice. It is much more flexible, and there is less consumer waste.” ​

Buying foods in bulk, rather than pre-packaged format, also works out cheaper. Although it does vary depending on the food type, Clemens said the cost reduction is “at least 20 percent”.​

For herbs and spices it can be even more – as much as 50 per cent or greater.

The transportation of bulk foods to the store is said to be more efficient as there is no packaging – and there is no transportation of the packaging materials from the supplier to the food processor, either.

Option not competition ​

Asked whether the movement could meet resistance from packaged food firms and packaging supplier, Clemens said that the council of the members are all from companies that also sell food ready packaged – such as Hain Celestial, SunRidge Farms and GrandyOats.

The idea is not to compete with packaged food, but to encourage bulk food as an option.

“Packaged food serves a purpose and is important in certain circumstances, but people should realize that they have a choice.” ​

While traditionally dried foods, such as beans, grains and pasta, have been considered suitable for the bulk food format, all sorts of other foods are also becoming available – such as olive oil, honey and spices.