Twenty-two supermarket store managers were recently treated to a two-course meal carefully prepared by a professional chef. But there was something different about the dishes the workers were digging into – they were made using only ingredients that could have ended up in the bin.
Key points:
- Charity OzHarvest held a lunch for supermarket managers made with only surplus food in a bid to show how it can be utilised
- Drivers for the charity say supermarkets' food charity sections are sometimes treated like a "dumping ground"
- The food rescue organisation hopes immersing employees in the cooking process will promote better food-saving practices
The lunch — made up of vegetable risotto and sweetened ricotta with biscotti — was organised by OzHarvest Canberra manager Belinda Barnier, to demonstrate how surplus food can be turned into healthy, delicious meals.
By immersing supermarket employees in the cooking process, Ms Barnier believes the managers are more likely to understand where leftover food from their stores is going and who it is benefiting — promoting better food-saving practices.
"The store managers kept coming back for seconds and thirds, which was fantastic," Ms Barnier said.
"We believe that education is crucial to what we do," Ms Barnier said.
"It's about reminding people that the food is not being disposed of; it is actually being handed onto somebody else."
For the store manager at Queanbeyan Woolworths, Brodrick Thomson, the rescued food lunch was a "big shock".
"It was very eye-opening for all of us to see how little could go so far," Mr Thomson said.
"After the event, we've increased what we've been able to donate, which has been really good."
OzHarvest is Australia's leading food rescue organisation that diverts food from landfills by delivering it to charities that help feed people in need.
Most of that surplus food is collected from supermarkets each day by drivers like Ray Sevito.
He said educational experiences—like the recent lunch held in Canberra —were important because he had noticed the food charity section at some supermarkets could sometimes be treated like a "rubbish bin" or a "dumping ground" by employees.
In one store, Mr Sevito said an employee had placed soon-to-expire meat into a trolley filled with fresh produce intended for OzHarvest.
Since the meat was not properly refrigerated, it contaminated all the fresh produce, making it unsuitable for donation.
Mr Sevito said he hoped educating supermarket workers about the quality requirements for donated food would put an end to those kinds of practices and better separate what can go to charities and what cannot.
Although strict food safety measures are evident in supermarkets, stores are not legally required to do anything regarding the handling of their unsold food and it is only through collaboration and education that organisations like OzHarvest can access it and distribute it to those in need.
That is not to say, however, that all food can be donated — some of it must go to waste if it is past its use-by date or its packaging is destroyed.
Dumpster diving 'may look cute on TikTok, but it's not safe'
Lydia Buchtmann from the Food Safety Information Council — a charity that helps educate consumers on food handling — said while organisations like OzHarvest could be trusted, she was concerned about people taking matters into their own hands and engaging in risky food behaviours, like dumpster diving.
"I saw a guy on Facebook recording himself saying, 'Oh, look at this, I found these meat pies in the dumpster, and they're still within their use-by date'," Ms Buchtmann said.
"But the use-by date doesn't work when it's not refrigerated."
According to the Food Safety Information Council, there are 4.76 million cases of food poisoning reported each year — and for high-risk people, like the elderly or immunocompromised, food poisoning can be extremely serious or even fatal.
"It's really risky, and you've no idea what else is in that dumpster. There could be dirty nappies and all sorts of chemical contaminants in there," Ms Buchtmann said.
"It may look cute on TikTok, but it's not safe. Stick by the use-by date, and don't go beyond that."
Ms Buchtmann said while she understood the challenges posed by the cost-of-living crisis, she strongly encouraged people to turn to food charities and pantries as a safer alternative.
In Canberra, OzHarvest distributes surplus food to several food pantries and charities, including the Mustard Seed Uniting Church, the University of Canberra Food Pantry, Havelock House, and St Paul's Anglican Church.
Jesse Wells, food pantry officer at the University of Canberra, said the pantry relied heavily on supplies from OzHarvest and other food banks to help feed the 700 students accessing it each week.
"A lot of students on-campus and off-campus are struggling to balance coursework with full-time or part-time work and trying to have a healthy diet as well," Mr Wells said.
"There's a 'free section', fruits, vegetables and pantry items, and we're open three days a week to support as many students as possible.
"OzHarvest and other charities really help us a lot."