Marks and Spencer 2007 Annual Report Download - page 20

our ‘Nutritionally Balanced’ meals are based on Government
guidelines for calorie, fat, salt and sugar content.
We have also adopted what we think is a leading position in
food labelling. Starting with selected ranges we are combining
both the Government’s traffic light system and Guideline Daily
Amount (GDA) percentages to help our customers make healthy
choices about the amount of fat, sugar and salt they eat. This will
be extended to all relevant ranges by end of the 2007/08
financial year.
Our ‘Eat Well’ sunflower logo identifies food which is either
naturally healthy or nutritionally balanced, as endorsed by the
British Nutrition Foundation. Some 1,300 food products (as of
January 2007), or around 30% of our food sales, come under
the ‘Eat Well’ banner. Our target, under Plan A, is to make that
50% in five years.
Our organic food offer now stretches to 350 lines. Under Plan A,
we aim to triple our sales of organic food within five years.
Prepared meals made with organic ingredients have become
more popular and, in February, we launched Organic ‘Food to
Go’, with over 20 products from sandwiches to smoothies.
Indulgence and celebrations
While healthy eating is increasingly important to customers,
we have to remember that many people come to M&S for
a treat. Some of the products we are most famous for are
seeing superb growth. Last year we enjoyed 12% of the UK
champagne market, 22% of the pre-packed shellfish market,
and 10% of the boxed chocolate market.
Our indulgent food remains distinctive and is often unique.
At Easter, for instance, all our children’s chocolate was organic
and nut-free. We are now working towards making sure all our
children’s cakes are made using only naturally-occurring colours
and flavours. Increasingly, these products are helping us stand
out at key times like Christmas and Easter.
Authenticity and provenance
Our customers want exciting new dishes, but they are also
increasingly interested in real food, simply prepared, from
known sources.
M&S has always been known for the provenance of its food
and the ‘Speciality’ range, launched in April 2006, taps into
this demand. Carefully selected foods, many from smaller
specialist producers in the UK and overseas, are what this
range is all about.
Already over 300 products strong and accounting for a
significant proportion of food sales, the range includes
Brecknock lamb from Wales, Scottish langoustines from
fisherman Sandy West and Giuliano Baroni’s exclusive 24-
month matured parmigiano reggiano. We will increase this
range to 400 products next year.
WASTE
We are trialling ‘Closed Loop
Recycling’ in five of our Café Revive
coffee shops in London. Teams sort
used café product packaging into
recyclable and non-recyclable
materials in store. The recyclable
material is collected and turned back
into raw materials for use in more
packaging.
HEALTH
As part of our additive reduction
programme, none of our products
contain hydrogenated fats. All of our
‘Nutritionally Balanced’ ready meals are
based on Government guidelines for
calorie, fat, salt and sugar content
and, like our ‘Marks & Spencer Cook!’
products and ‘Eat Well’ children’s
prepared meals, they are free from
artificial colours, flavourings,
sweeteners and preservatives.
18 MARKS AND SPENCER GROUP PLC www.marksandspencer.com/annualreport2007
FAIR PARTNER
The M&S Milk Pledge, which we
launched with our dairy farmers
in 2003, agrees prices for six
month periods and pays one
of the best rates in the industry.
It also supports our regional
sourcing work, with milk
sold in the region in which
it is produced.