Food waste

The Food Waste Reduction Roadmap is a world-first initiative outlining the route the UK food industry should follow to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.

WRAP and IGD are hosting a webinar on Thursday 28^th May 10-11 am for businesses to find out how they can set a target to halve food waste by 2030, measure and report food surplus and waste data in a consistent way, share learnings and act to reduce food waste.

FDF’s Ambition 2025 food waste target is to adopting the ‘Target, Measure, Act’ approach, as the Roadmap is well regarded and is citied by Champions 12.3.

You can sign up for the free webinar on IGD’s website here.

WRAP have published a new ‘Redistribution of Food Beyond its Best Before Date’ implementation resource which has been created to supplement WRAP’s Guidance on Labelling for Redistribution. It is available on WRAP’s website here.

WRAP’s Guidance on Labelling for Redistribution outlines how long different foods can be expected to be suitable for redistribution after the ‘Best Before’ date, the associated date labelling and storage instructions and the processes required by food businesses and redistribution organisations within the UK to ensure that surplus food is safely redistributed.

Using the Guidance alongside this new Implementation Resource will enable more organisations throughout the food supply chain to redistribute more food after its ‘Best Before’ date and make this accepted good practice with industry. This will result in more food being made available by food businesses and accepted by redistribution organisations, helping to ensure that surplus food is redistributed and consumed in line with accepted food safety protocols.

This implementation resource is based on current best practice in food businesses and redistribution organisations and can be used by all surplus providers (such as manufacturers) and all surplus receivers (for example redistribution bodies and charities).  Both documents have been agreed with Defra and the Food Standards Agency.

Over WRAP’s Food Waste Action Week taking place from 7-13 March, FDF highlighted the opportunities for manufacturers to do even more of the good work they are doing already!

In the two webinars we hosted, we saw how Princes work with Fareshare and how Coca Cola Europacific Partners work with Company Shop to put their surplus to good use.  These replays are now available, and are a must-watch for any manufacturers wanting to hear a first-hand perspective on what they can do with their surplus.

FareShare works to fight food poverty by tackling food waste – they take surplus edible food from the food and drink industry and redistribute it to organisations that feed people in need, turning an environmental problem into a social solution.   We also recorded a podcast with FareShare.

Company Shop Group is the UK’s leading redistributor of surplus food and household products.  Formed of Company Shop stores (their retail operation) and an award-winning social enterprise, Community Shop, Company Shop Group enables manufacturers to donate or sell their surplus stock, which may have otherwise gone to waste.

Working on food waste and food surplus is one FDF’s key sustainability pillars, so do contact us at any time to share your own examples of best practice and we will highlight those.  You can do this via press.office@fdf.org.uk or natalie.verner@fdf.org.uk (FDF food surplus lead)