With a little under two weeks to go until the 2016 Best In Fresh Awards, last year's winner of the Industry Innovator award, FoodCloud, has announced a new national partnership with Aldi Ireland, which will see the retailer donate over 500,000 meals to 172 charity partners this year to help combat food waste in Ireland.
Along with the announcement, Aldi also revealed the results of a survey it commissioned, which was carried out by Ignite Research, which found that just 13% of all adults never dispose of unused food. Also, the average shopper estimates that they waste €400 worth of food on an annual basis – almost the equivalent of a month's worth of grocery shopping for an average family.
Consumers said they were most likely to throw away unused fresh fruit and vegetables (44%), followed by bread/baked goods (28%), dairy (15%) and fresh meat (14%).
Commenting on the announcement, Finbar McCarthy, Aldi’s Group Buying Director said, "We are delighted that by partnering with FoodCloud, we will be able to donate our consumable, surplus food to charities and community organisations that need it throughout the country.
"Our research found 87% of consumers would prefer to shop at a retailer that redistributes its unsold food to those in need. At Aldi we listen to our customers and aim to deliver what they want, whether it’s providing high quality groceries at the best prices or making a positive impact in our local communities."
FoodCloud co-founder and CEO Iseult Ward added, “In Ireland, we waste 1 million tonnes of food every year and at the same time, one in eight people suffer from food poverty. FoodCloud’s efficient and effective solution provides an opportunity for businesses and charities within communities to work together to make sure no good food goes to waste.
"Our new national partnership with Aldi will hugely increase the scale and the number of charities we can help each day, making an incredible difference to local communities."
© 2016 - Checkout Magazine by Niall Swan
