UK supermarkets create 200,000 tonnes of food waste

Supermarkets have come under fire for wasting up to 200,000 tonnes of food after restricting which suppliers can access the surplus, food distribution charities have revealed.

Independent charities under the Xcess network have claimed that they struggle to receive unwanted edible food from processors and manufacturers due to supermarket’s rules on own-brand products.

According to Anthesis research, own-brand products make up over 72% of all edible surplus food in the UK.

Currently, Tesco and Asda only allow suppliers to give out surplus own-brand food to small charities through FareShare and Company Shop. This in turn prevents a wider net of smaller charities such as Bread and Butter from accessing donatable produce.

Grocery Gazette