The supermarkets in the UK throw away hundreds of thousands tonnes of good food each year. The newest and first ever food waste supermarket in the UK is working with supermarkets all over the country to put perfectly good food to good use.
The supermarket, Real Junk Food Proj., opened its very first warehouse in Leeds. The warehouse will act as the food waste supermarket where the needy can make use of the food and produce that would have been put to waste.
The project has deals with huge supermarkets including Morrisons and Ocado, Sainsbury's, as well as local allotments, food banks, caterers, and cafes.
People pay for the goods that they get in form of a "donation". This means that they only have to pay for the produce they get on the amount that they can afford. As payment, they can also donate their time by volunteering to work for the supermarket.
According to a news publication, the people behind this amazing project get bread donation in massive quantities that they are now having trouble shifting the donations.
Keith Annal, the operations manager of the project, said that supermarkets make so much bread. In turn, they have to chuck out massive amounts of bread as well.
There were also cakes and other goods from Marks & Spencer such as grapes, posh crisps, tomatoes, Ferrero Rocher chocolates, and jars of olives. Although the food and produce housed in the supermarket are out-of-date, it's still perfectly safe to consume them.
On the website of Real Junk Food Proj., it says there that every single PAYF cafe that's part of their network adheres to Environmental Health regulations that have been set in the establishment. This includes the transportation, storage, cooking, and reheating of food. All these are done in the safest manner.
The website also says: "We intercept food that's been past its expiration date. We use our own judgment on whether or not we believe certain products are fit for our consumption. This is done by smelling them, tasting them, and visually inspecting them. We don't want to turn food away just because it has been labeled or marked as 'expired.' We will NEVER display or serve food and products that we believe are unfit for everyone's consumption."
The project is also running cafes all over the country and they cook with the goods that were donated to them. They also have the same payment policy as the warehouse/supermarket.
In the supermarket, you will find bunches of flowers, pre-packaged pies, Greggs' pork rolls, jars of mustard and mayonnaise, and boxes of noodles.
According to the project's director, Sam Joseph, the team members use their common sense whenever they have to pick out the products and produce they give away.
"Although most of the produce we serve can be eaten and is low-risk, we are still very careful. If a vegetable isn't moldy, it’s fine to eat it," said Joseph.
