Stores cutting food waste

SOUTH Africa’s largest food retailers, food brands and brand owners regard food loss and waste as an “important issue” that they are measuring or estimating.

But in a recent World Resources Institute and WWF-SA survey, they all indicated waste levels below 5%.

“Almost all the companies believed most food was wasted elsewhere in the supply chain, not in their sector. Almost 50% believed it happened at consumer level, followed by retail.”

Research has shown that most food loss and waste happens at the pre-consumer level. The Shoprite Group told the Saturday Star that its practice is to first reduce and avoid wasting, and then to find the most beneficial way of dealing with items that it cannot sell.

“One of the focus areas is hunger relief and it ensures that all items that are safe for human consumption are donated through reputable partners such as FoodForward.”

It donated R109 million worth of food to FoodForward and other community organisations in the previous financial year.

Its fresh produce procurement arm, Freshmark, is supplied by reputable far mers that adhere to strict quality and food safety standards.

Aspects such as temperature, quality and size are tested against these standards when taking delivery of fresh produce. “The issue of food waste requires a delicate balance between ensuring sufficient availability of fresh produce, deli and bakery items versus oversupply that results in increased wastage. Changes in consumer preferences also impact food waste, such as favouring fresh milk over long-life milk.”

André Nel, the general manager of sustainability at Pick n Pay, says tackling food waste is an important part of our sustainability approach.

“Our war on waste commitment promises to reduce our food waste to landfill by 20% by 2020.

“We are FoodForward SA’s biggest retail partner, and last year donated over R90m in edible food for distribution to their 600 beneficiary organisations – providing seven million meals annually.

“We also reduce food waste through Waste to Food, a project which recycles food waste into compost.” These projects, it says, have helped it to reduce food waste by 22%, “exceeding our 2020 target some three years in advance”.

Woolworths, too, says it donates surplus food which would otherwise go to landfill from stores to charities.

Last year, “we donated food to the value of R485m. We recognise, however, that we generate waste across our entire value chain in the growing, making and manufacturing of our products as well as in our customers’ homes.

“Through various means such as excellent temperature control in our logistics chain and stores as well as on clear on-pack information pertaining to ‘sell by’, ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates, we try to minimise this waste as far as possible.” – Sheree Bega