Report critical of Tesco

This is the British-based grocery giant that will open its Fresh & East convenience stores in L.A. later this year. So far, the company has gotten very good press, but later this week Occidental College's Urban @ Environmental Policy Institute will release what appears to be a not-so-wonderful appraisal on the potential impact of Tesco's expansion into the U.S. market. "Tesco has been especially adept at marketing itself as a socially responsible corporation,” Robert Gottlieb, an Occidental College professor, said in a release. “However, our examination of Tesco’s policies shows that its track record has significant gaps between what it has promised and how it has achieved its current position as one of the top multinational operations. The report also identifies ways to reduce or eliminate those gaps.” Also covered, according to the release, is how "Tesco’s arrival in the U.S. has the potential to significantly influence the direction of the U.S. grocery business in such areas as labor, environment, health and the food system." (LABO)