Trade bodies combine to tackle food waste as a result of Coronavirus pandemic

The British Frozen Food, Wholesale Distributors’ and Provision Trade Federations have come together to create  an online platform to collect data on perishable products that are coming to the end of their shelf-life.

Around £2m worth of food has already been registered as a result of the project, which will help provide surplus stock sold to retailers, manufacturers and the Company Shop Group, Some surplus food will also be directed to necessary charities.

“Since the closure of the hospitality sector, the supply chain into the out-of-home market is overstocked with chilled products that are fast approaching the end of their shelf life,” says British Frozen Food Federation chief executive Richard Harrow.

“Our federations urgently need to understand the scale of the problem we are facing so that we and other trade bodies can find ways to help the industry deal with this stock and mitigate a potentially shocking amount of food going to waste.

“All three federations are making strong representations to Government to ensure that if our industry takes this action, there will be some form of recompense for the inevitable financial losses that will occur.”

Wholesalers can register products coming to the end of their best-before dates on a newly created website​​, where the details have been gathered of the top 10 chilled and frozen lines of which there are surplus supplies as well as the values of the stock,

“We appreciate these are extremely difficult and busy times for everyone,” adds Harrow. “Please take a few moments to upload your data to allow us to understand the scale of the issue.

“We are also working on options to provide guidance on freezing some chilled lines to provide additional life.”