UK | Bananas are among the most popular foods bought at UK supermarkets, but also one of the most wasted because they ripen very quickly.
According to the latest available data, every day, UK householders throw away one million bananas. However, customers will now have more shelf-life flexibility at home as Tesco adds ‘ripen at home’ bananas to their range.
The move will allow shoppers to better plan for the week ahead by adding a shelf life of around four days.
The move comes at a time when the UK is experiencing strong demand for bananas, with around four billion bought in the last year, representing a 2.6 percent growth from the previous year, in a market worth £674 million, according to Kantar Worldpanel Data (March 2025).
“Bananas have never been more popular on account of their nutritional qualities and versatility in cooking, baking and making smoothies and milkshakes. In the last year, we have seen demand soar with nearly 15 million more sold than the previous year,” said Tesco banana buyer Dan Bentley.
“But unfortunately, we know that bananas can ripen quickly, so we hope that by offering customers an added longer shelf-life option, it will allow them to buy accordingly for the week ahead and hopefully help them cut down on wastage at home.”
The move followed a survey by the supermarket to establish customers’ banana buying habits and preferences. The survey found:
• Most shoppers purchase one bunch at a time, particularly those shopping online.
• Customers tend to eat one banana per day, and bunches should last them at least five days.
• Single banana colour shoppers prefer medium ripe, while multi-bunch shoppers are motivated by freshness, so plan ahead and purchase a range of colours.
• Overall, if given the choice, online shoppers would like bananas to be greener than they currently are.
Bananas have been a staple in shopping baskets for decades and are, along with milk and bread, among the most commonly purchased foods in the UK.
In 2009, Tesco became the first UK retailer to change the way the fruit is sold in order to tackle food waste. One of the biggest problems affecting sales is that the product bruises easily when handled, leading to tens of thousands of pounds in wastage costs each year.
However, to maintain bananas in their optimum condition, Tesco placed them in a specially designed, easy-access ‘hammock’ fixture that helps eliminate bruising.
The ‘ripen at home’ bananas will be sold in packs held together by an adhesive band, clearly labelled as such. They will be priced at 78p for five bananas, the same price Tesco charges for ripe bananas.
