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British retailer Sainsbury’s has become the ‘first UK supermarket’ to launch conventional mushrooms that have been grown without peat.

Conventional mushroom crop production currently relies on the use of peat, a precious carbon-rich natural resource that takes thousands of years to grow in wetland ecosystems.

This change to the growth process reduces the carbon intensity of mushroom production – leaving peat in the ground helps to protect nature and will aid Sainsbury’s in achieving its net zero goals.

Rolling out this month, customers will be able to spot ‘Grown without peat’ on mushroom packaging in more than 200 Sainsbury’s stores across the UK. The peat-free mushrooms will first be available in the white closed cup 300g and white baby button 200g variants.

Typically, mushrooms are grown in two layers of material – first a layer of natural compost and then a layer of peat. Peat plays a key role in the yield and quality of mushrooms, making it very difficult to replace.

Instead of using peat, Sainsbury’s has begun growing mushrooms with an innovative sustainable substrate made from recycled natural materials. Developed in partnership with the supermarket’s long-term mushroom supplier Monaghan, the new process is expected to remove 20,465 tonnes of peat from mushroom production each year.

As well as naturally storing carbon, peatlands also provide critical habitats for many rare, threatened or declining animal and plant species, while having a significant ability to retain water, and to improve both soil and water quality.

This breakthrough also benefits customers as it has resulted in mushrooms that are higher quality – firmer in texture and whiter in colour – with a day longer shelf life.

Richard Crampton, director of fresh food at Sainsbury’s, said: “We’re committed to playing our part in enabling and driving a resilient and sustainable food system, including protecting nature and reducing carbon to net zero. Our new peat-free mushrooms will help us to get another step closer to achieving these goals in our supply chain.”

Crampton continued: “We’re proud to be the first supermarket in the UK to bring peat-free mushrooms to our customers, who want easy ways to make more responsible choices when buying food, without compromising on quality. This wouldn’t have been possible without the work of our partner Monaghan who spent ten years coming up with the alternative.”

Noel Hegarty, CCO at Monaghan, said: “At Monaghan, we are committed to lowering our climate impact across every facet of our operations. Although mushrooms already have a low carbon footprint in comparison to other foods, we want to take this further with our journey to net zero. Peat-free mushrooms are a huge step forward with that ambition.”

Karl Mitchell, director of fundraising at The Woodland Trust, added: “This is a significant step towards protecting our peatlands, which are vital for biodiversity and climate resilience. Peatland restoration is an important part of our work at the Woodland Trust, and our 20-year partnership with Sainsbury’s has been instrumental in making a positive impact on our sites.”

In January, Sainsbury's announced it was switching from plastic to cardboard on its own-brand mushroom punnets, resulting in a reduction of over 775 tonnes of plastic, equivalent to 52 million pieces annually.

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