Purchase problems over item limit rule

Foodbanks struggling to buy what they need as a result of new restrictions

Restrictions put in place by supermarkets to combat coronavirusrelated panic buying means many foodbanks are now struggling to purchase what they need.

While many foodbanks have money to buy food, the generosity of the public is being curtailed because of new rules limiting purchases to two or three per single item.

Councillor Michael Marra of Dundee’s Lochee ward, said it was raised locally but, following discussions with a senior national official at Tesco, it is made clear it is a problem across Britain.

The Labour councillor said: “People are continuing to be generous to foodbanks. They recognise there’s a lot of people in need and that need is only going to increase in the coming weeks.

“But given the restrictions put in place by supermarkets to stop panic buying – people are being restricted in the number of single items they can buy – much of that generosity is now coming in cash.

“If you can’t get more than three of something, that’s not really practical when you are trying to stock up a foodbank.”

Mr Marra said it was likely resolutions might be channelled through organisations such as Fareshare – the UK’S largest hunger-fighting charity which supports more than 11,000 charities and community groups, including foodbanks.

The Tayside & Fife Fareshare provides surplus food to nearly 100 community projects throughout Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Angus.

However, following a recent situation where the Lochee Community Larder in Mr Marra’s own ward was running “desperately low” on stock after a “breakdown in communication” with Fareshare, he said care needs to be taken to “patch up” services.

The Courier spoke to several foodbanks and community food groups which confirmed the consequences of limited purchases in supermarkets.

Samantha Bruce of Lochee Community Larder said the situation was “infuriating”.

She said: “We are struggling to get tinned items for the larder and are being turned away at the checkouts despite clearly being foodbank workers.

“It is a tough time for everyone but there has to be a resolution to the problem somewhere.

“I did a shop and had to go to three or four different shops, cash and carries etc and still couldn’t get what we needed to sustain the larder.”

Joyce Leggate, chairwoman of Kirkcaldy Foodbank, said: “We are also having issues with ordering from supermarkets, as they are still restricting the number of items we can purchase.

“We have been in touch with IFAN (Independent Food Air Network UK) and they have raised this at national level, too. “

Faisal Hussein, CEO of Yusef Youth Initiative in Dundee said the city’s Taught by Muhammad foodbank had also experienced similar issues.

“Volunteers are ready to make purchases from supermarkets, but three items per time doesn’t go far with the referrals rise at the foodbank,” he said.