Iceland will be the first major UK supermarket to ban palm oil from all its own-brand foods following concerns about its effect on wildlife.
The Deeside-based frozen food specialist, which has stores in Chester and Ellesmere Port, plans to have completely banned the controversial ingredient which is used in more than half of its products, by the end of 2018.
The move is part of a bid to stop the ongoing destruction of rain forests across south-east Asia, which was outlined by campaigners at Greenpeace.
It will only apply to Iceland-branded products which means palm oil could still be found in other products sold by Iceland - including bread, pastry, biscuits, cereal, chocolate and soap and detergent.
But 130 products sold in the supermarket will be totally reformulated by the end of the year.
Iceland's managing director Richard Walker said in national news reports: "Until Iceland can guarantee palm oil is not causing rainforest destruction, we are simply saying 'no' to palm oil.
"We don’t believe there is such a thing as verifiably ‘sustainable’ palm oil available in the mass market.”
Mr Walker said the move would increase costs but these would not be felt by the customer.
"There will be an extra cost but we think it's the right thing to do," he added.
The bold move comes just months after Iceland committed to becoming the first global retailer to eliminate plastic packaging from all of its own brand products by the end of 2023.
The chain had already removed palstic disposable straws from its own label range, and new food ranges feature paper-based rather than plastic food trays.
Over time, all its packaging will comprise paper and pulp trays along with paper bags which are fully recyclable through domestic waste collection or in-store recycling facilities, and therefore less harmful to the environment.
