Iceland’s green ‘slime’ pizza draws online backlash as retailer unveils Halloween range
Stuffed‑crust 'slime cheese' pizza divides shoppers; launch coincides with CEO’s scheme to reward customers for reporting shoplifters after a reported £20m annual loss
Iceland’s new Halloween frozen-food range has drawn sharp online criticism after the retailer introduced a green, stuffed-crust pizza described on packaging as containing “slime cheese.” A photo of the product shared on the NewFoodsUK Instagram account prompted a wave of negative reactions from shoppers who said the appearance was off‑putting.
The product is marketed in Iceland’s Take Away range as a green stuffed‑crust pizza topped with tomato sauce, cheddar and mozzarella. The frozen pizza weighs 475g and is priced at £2.60.
Commenters on the Instagram post likened the green filling to bodily fluids. One wrote it “reminds me of a sinus infection,” another said “eww,” and a third wrote, “Sorry, but hell no, it looks like sick.” Other users offered cultural references, with one calling it “early 2000s lawless wasteland Shrek.”
Iceland has added several other seasonal items to its lineup for the spooky season, including a “scarily spicy” pepperoni pizza with a hot cheese crust, California reaper chili chicken fillets and wings, and salt-and-pepper shredded duck.
The product launch comes as Iceland’s chief executive, Richard Walker, is pursuing a separate initiative to reduce theft-related losses. Walker announced that the retailer would give customers £1 on their bonus cards if they point out shoplifters to store staff. He said the company had suffered about £20 million in losses attributable to shoplifting over the previous year and that rewards for reporting offenders could deter theft, allow the chain to lower prices and fund more staff hours.
“I’d actually like to announce that we will give a pound to any customer who points out a shoplifter,” Walker told Channel 5 News. “Some people see it as a victimless crime. It is not. It also keeps prices from being lowered because it’s a cost to the business.”
The scheme makes Iceland among the first UK supermarkets to offer direct incentives for customers to report suspected theft. The move followed several widely shared incidents in which staff confronted suspected thieves; in one video an Iceland security guard was filmed using a shopping basket to defend against an alleged shoplifter at a Walworth store in south‑east London.
Calls for broader public engagement on retail crime have also been voiced by local officials. Matthew Barber, Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, has urged members of the public and retail security to intervene rather than only record incidents.
Iceland said the seasonal range is intended to capitalise on demand for themed products during the autumn period. The retailer did not immediately respond to requests for comment on social media reactions to the green pizza or for more detail about the shoplifting‑reward scheme’s implementation and safeguards.