It’s been some time since I poked around to find out what the major supermarkets are doing to help us get more information about the food they sell us. I decided today that I’d write to Sainsbury as I know that for some time they have provided a look up service for discovering the origins of whole organic products such as potatoes. So far as I know not a single food retailer has ever done this for a complex processed food product.

I know it’s possible. For example, Made-By in Holland now provide customers with the full list of companies involved in production of a range of their fashion clothing. If it can be done for something as complex as clothing it must be possible for food, where there are generally fewer companies involved.

So here is what I wrote to them:

Hello,

I wonder if you can provide me with a document or a link to more information concerning what you are doing to improve transparency in the food supply chain.

Recent initiatives by companies such as Historic Futures Ltd, have made it possible for consumers to obtain the full details of production for complex clothing products and nutraceuticals. A simple example can be found at http://www.made-by.org

If it is possible for this type of product, I feel sure it must be possible for processed food. I know you already provide this sort of service for unprocessed whole organic food (e.g. potatoes, whole chickens etc) - when will you start providing it for processed food which by it’s very nature is much less transparent to the consumer?

Many thanks for any information you can provide.

Simon

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