If ever you need a barometer for the current mood of the middle classes, simply type a single word into an internet search engine: hummus. This past week has seen an almighty furore break out with news that Tesco and Sainsbury’s have ditched single-use rigid, plastic lids in favour of a thin, peel-off film on their own-brand hummus pots as part of plans to reduce unnecessary waste. Under normal circumstances, this kind of environmentally friendly, green-aspiring move would be welcomed with self-righteous open arms.
But, alas, not when the integrity of the hallowed hummus hangs in the balance. While the premise is in line with similar efforts across the food industry, covering everything from bottle tops and carrier bags to cutlery and straws, some furious shoppers have vented that it is “eco-friendliness gone too far”. The suggestion that customers could buy reusable lids to help keep products in the new-style packaging fresh, appears to have fallen on deaf ears.
Certainly, if angry posts on social media are anything to go by. It is a saga that raises many baffling questions. Chiefly about basic practicality.
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