SA: What happens to the stuff shops throw away?

Question

I just watched an Oprah episode and saw people raid the garbage bins of shops. They got perfectly good vegetables and boxed foods and sometimes even good bread from that bins. They live of that. The food really still look tasteful.

What happens to the food that expires in South African grocery shops? Do they give it to charities or does it go to the dumping grounds?

Answer 1

most big supermarkets and chain stores have ongoing relationships with charity organisations, and they donate their "waste".  I don't think you will find many stores in SA simply throwing food into bins.  Smaller stores, sell their good "waste" to their staff and greatly reduced prices, some even give the goods to their staff.

Answer 2

Lindsay things use to work on the basis (before expiry dates) that if thay think things are to go off they were donated, but with expiry dates it is LAW that no one is allowed to consume it. I wish they could donate it but they cant. Thousands could live on it if is was allowed.

Answer 3

Same as what happens to food that gets thrown out in every other country. Just because Oprah says so, its not gospel.

Answer 4

Woolies gives their stuff to charity on the day of the expiration (not past the date, and that is for their packaged ready-made foods, I don't know what they do with the produce), or at least they used to. If I remember correctly one was an after school program for needy kids and another was a group of homes for Aids orphans. I'm not sure about the other stores but it would be criminal if they just throw it away when there are so many people in need.

Answer 5

Woolies first sells it to staff as food at a discounted price as it has store expiry and home expiry date.  After that they will give it to select charities or churches that will disperse the food.

Also Pick n Pay also distribute it to charities. I'm not sure about the rest of the retail stores.

Answer 6

Whoaaaa D405.. you crack me up.. I thought this was about Food not Oprah.. Anyway.. there is nothing wrong with Oprah..

Good question though , If they gave the food out to Charity that would be good PR work for the food industry..

Answer 7

HELLO

IN ENGLAND SUPERMARKETS NEAR TO ZOOS LET THE ZOOS COLLECT THAT SORT OF FOOD FOR THE ANIMALS.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT FOOD THAT IS OUT OF DATE IS DEEMED UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION,  IF THEY GAVE THE FOOD TO A CHARITY, AND SOME ONE BECAME ILL BECAUSE OF IT THE SUPERMARKET WOULD BE LIABLE. ITS NOT THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO, THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE CLAIMS IF PEOPLE GET ILL.  SO IN THE BINS IT GOES. IF THEY TAKE IT FROM A BIN THEN THE SUPERMARKET CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE SO THEY NORMALLY KEEP BEHIND LOCKED GATES

Answer 8

It happens in the UK there was a programme on telly about it. there is a group of people here that believe in living free they raid the supermarket skips at night and pay nothing for their food. Contrary to what people think very little of the out of date food is given to charity most is thrown in the skip

Answer 9

U AND COOKIE ARE SOOO JELOUS OF OPRAH..ONLY REASON U DNT LIKE HER IS BECAUSE SHE IS STINKING RICH..JELOUSY MAKES U NASTY!!

Answer 10

In Somerset West, the Roman Catholic church collected all edibles from Picknpay and other supermarkets. That included sadly wilted lettuces and semi hard bread rolls. And this food was packed into chopping bags and distributed to the needy twice a week. I used to help a family who were in hard times. I once drove her to the church to pick up her "parcel". I was fairly disgusted with the food. But, I suppose if one is hungry, then it is better than nothing. And this woman was thrilled with her groceries.

Here in Germany, supermarkets donate a part of their damaged packets and bashed tins and not-fit-for-sale veg and fruit. They are not allowed to put in things that have passed their sell-by-date, like cereals, biscuits (nothing wrong with that stuff, I think). So a lot is still thrown away.

The vegetables and fruit that are not fit for humans, is put into a container for pigs. They get a real meal in one. The baker chucks all the rolls from yesterday (can´t sell them or give it to charity), old fruit salads, and veg salads, all the pineapple peels and the leaves. Everything else lands in the rubbish compactor.

I am always saddened by how fussy the "needy" are here in Germany. The pigs here get better and fresher food than the poor and needy in South Africa.