100 million kilos of saved food went to the needy

By: Trademagazin Date: 2023. 07. 25. 12:24

In the first half of 2023, the Magyar Élélmiszerbank Egyesület saved and donated 4.7 million kilos of expired and defective goods to the needy. Since their establishment, they have collected more than 100 million kilos of unnecessary food from manufacturers and traders so that it ends up on the tables of those in need instead of landfills. Moreover, the work of the Association does not only help people with a difficult fate, by saving food they also protect nature from the environmental damage of waste.

A quarter more donations compared to last year

In the first half of the year, 248,000 needy people benefited from the food packages that the Magyar Élélmiszerbank Egyesület put together from foods that had become redundant and were no longer on the market, but were still perfectly suitable for consumption. Since January, the Association has helped the needy with a donation of 4.7 million kilos, which is a 24 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

“While more and more people are queuing up for the saved food packages due to the increase in the price of food, the surplus that can be brought from the traders has started to decrease noticeably. Stores have become more careful with their orders, they have fewer products left at the end of the day, and moreover, they are much more likely to consider giving the leftovers to food rescuers or discounting them at a fraction of the original price, rather keeping them on the shelf until the last moment. Under these circumstances, we feel that the fact that Élélmiszerbank was able to increase its donations by a quarter is an even greater achievement.”

– said András Nagygyörgy, the Association’s director of external relations.