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Evidence for initiating food safety policy: An assessment of the quality and safety of donated food at an Australian food bank
... This study pointed out that while efforts are underway to improve food safety, the region is still grappling with issues related to the improper handling and storage of donated foods, compounded by a lack of comprehensive training for volunteers and staff [23]. The current study evaluated the safety and quality of food donations at a food bank warehouse in the eThekwini District using a novel methodology developed by Mossenson et al. [24]. This paper is part of a larger research project that has evaluated the CFAPs adherence to eight principles of food safety and general hygiene in KwaZulu-Natal. ...
... Data were assessed using a decision tree ( Figure 1) adapted from the framework established by Mossenson et al. [24], ensuring alignment with established food safety principles [31]. ...
... This study introduces a ground-breaking method, first proposed by Mossenson et al. [24,28], for visually assessing product deliveries, marking a pivotal step toward evaluating the safety and quality of food donations at a South African food bank. Developing a tailored assessment process and establishing food safety criteria showcases dedicated efforts toward elevating the standards of food banking in the South African context. ...
Background: Food insecurity is a major global problem, with over 2.8 billion people reported as unable to afford a healthy diet in 2022. While charitable food assistance programs (CFAPs) play an important role in improving food access, ensuring the quality and safety of donated foods is crucial for safeguarding needy communities from food-related illnesses. This study evaluated the safety and quality of food donations at a food bank warehouse in the eThekwini District using a novel methodology. Methods: In March 2024, a five-day audit was conducted at a food bank warehouse in the eThekwini District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A mobile device was utilized to document comprehensive information on all incoming deliveries, including the type of food, product details (such as brand, name, and variety), donor information, weight, and date markings. The audit assessed 1037 items, totaling 64,818 kg of donated food, against established food safety standards. Each item was visually inspected upon arrival and classified as ‘unsuitable’, ‘potentially unsafe’, or ‘unsafe’ for human consumption. Results: Out of the 64,818 kg of donated food, 95.5% (61,886 kg) was deemed satisfactory. However, 4.5% of the total, which amounts to 2932 kg, was categorized as either unsafe (355 kg), potentially unsafe (1182 kg), or unsuitable (1395 kg) for consumption. Retail supermarkets donated the largest weight of food, and also of the food classified as unsafe or unsuitable. Conclusions: The study highlights an urgent need for improved quality control and safety measures in food donations to CFAPs. Stricter handling and inspection guidelines are essential to ensure the quality of charitable food, reduce health risks, and build public trust in donation programs.
... Numerous studies have confirmed the significant role of FBs in reducing food waste, food insecurity, and food poverty [36][37][38][39][40][41][42], and in contributing to sustainable consumption [30,33,43]. At a general level, they are efficiently organized and well established in their territories as civil society structures [29,[44][45][46], which allows them to generate impacts in multiple areas and achieve the SDGs [47]. ...
The Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) are suitable standards for contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the area of sound consumption and sustainable food. In this context, food banks have demonstrated their significant role in supporting vulnerable groups and reducing food waste through the implementation of various projects and activities. This study identifies and classifies the good practices of 54 food banks that comprise the Spanish Federation of Food Banks (FESBAL). The methodology applied was based on the Working with People model, integrating a social and collaborative learning process based on the accumulated experience of food banks over 35 years. The analysis was carried out based on four dimensions of sustainability, namely social, economic, environmental, and governance, in alignment with the CFS-RAI Principles. The results obtained show the good practices of food banks, highlighting their positive effects on the dimensions of sustainability, consistent with the CFS-RAI Principles, and the SDGs, evidencing improved food security and a holistic contribution to sustainable development.
... Food banks are responsible for sourcing, banking, and distributing surplus food [26]. Food banks collect or raise public donations of surplus or unsaleable food from growers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers and provide food with lower or no charge [26,27]. In a typical system structure of a social economy, which is illustrated in Figure 1, the data preservation and transaction mechanisms in the social economy should be considered along with informatization including the security of transactions. ...
Social economy actors have assisted the recovery from crises by providing innovative solutions that are aimed at strengthening public services to complement government action. Currently, the widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by both citizens and organizations has changed society’s routine behavior, giving rise to the so-called information society. One of the major burdens of using big data for social problems is the lack of adequate data governance standards. Challenging and critical issues about big data include privacy and security for most of the social economy field of activities. Blockchain technology has attracted the attention of academic researchers and industries, which combines technologies like cryptography, end-to-end communication, and algorithms. Moreover, blockchain technology provides user anonymity to protect the privacy of users. We propose a hierarchical blockchain system for social economy services that can effectively protect the security and privacy of users and transmitted data. The proposed scheme was proven to ensure the legitimacy of all parties in the system and security of data and transactions, and blockchain technology and signcryption mechanisms were applied to achieve integrity, non-repudiation, and traceability. Security and performance analyses are also provided to prove that the proposed scheme achieved the above security concerns with efficiency.
... It explores the main mechanisms that function as the barriers and drivers of the creation of IC in organisations involved in the food donation chain, and how these mechanisms can help improve the operations of the agents in this chain. By exploring these mechanisms, this research can contribute towards addressing policy questions and make specific recommendations (Tokar and Swink, 2019;Helper et al., 2021) with regard to hunger and food security; most countries have food laws and regulations that normally do not apply to food donations (Mossenson et al., 2024). ...
The Covid-19 pandemic raised global alarms about hunger and food insecurity worldwide and the corresponding need for public policies, particularly in emerging countries. One possible solution for addressing this important topic is a food donation supply chain, which comprises food banks and involves their relationships with suppliers (donors), customers (people in need), and other potential stakeholders. The aim of this research is to understand how different agents in a food donation supply chain use different but interrelated capital dimensions (human, structural, and relational) to leverage their resources and build knowledge in their relationships with other stakeholders.
We conducted an abductive single case study with the food bank as a focal organisation in a direct supply chain. Data was collected by way of 15 semi-structured interviews with representatives from each tier in the chain (food bank, donor, social impact company and social movement), non-participant observation, and secondary data (e.g. codes of practice, websites, media.). All data sources were analysed individually and then cross-checked.
Our findings show that tangible dimensions, such as those that are structural, are present upstream while intangible dimensions – those that are relational and human, for example, - are prevalent downstream. The political dimension was identified as an important mechanism that allows stakeholder engagement and access to resources, funding and government incentives.
By applying a multi-tier approach, the present research explores how different stages in this supply chain use intellectual capital (IC) to better manage relationships. The heterogeneity of agents within the food donation supply chain (public, private and third sector), each of which has distinct levels of IC dimensions, can share their knowledge to improve efficiency and social protection mechanism policies. Since the focal organisation is a non-profit organisation, this study also contributes to IC theory.
... Regarding the specific regulatory framework, on the other hand, the European Union legislation establishes that before a product can be placed on the market, a competent authority must assess its food safety. The European Commission submits, in fact, the request for scientific risk assessment to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) [7]. ...
The food chain has been confronting diverse limits and challenges. Indeed, the increase in level of environmental pollution, in resource scarcity, in biodiversity loss represents some limits, while guaranteeing the food security of a growing population and develop more sustainable production and consumption systems represents some challenges. In this context, including new foods within the European diet can be a sustainable strategy. With respect to the introduction of foods into the market that do not boast a history of safe consumption within the European Union has prompted regulatory interventions that have aimed to control the level of risk assessment of new products before granting permission for their marketing. This paper aimed in glimpsing the potential effect of this legislation on the trade flow of algae as a novel food, and in assessing the level of self-sufficiency and the comparative advantage of European Union countries. For this purpose, the calculation of specific indices allowed the track of the evolutionary trend of algae for human consumption trade flows, referred to the intra and extra European Union countries. Conclusively, the paper presents an interpretation of the relative trade structure, trade pattern and agri-food competitiveness referred to algae for human consumption while underling the limitation but also the benefit of the legislation intervention in this sector.
... While the general population often have poor adherence to dietary guidelines [39], people experiencing food insecurity may be more at risk of poor diet quality due to dependence on donated food [21,26,40,41]. Customers' food perceptions underscore the need for nutritional guidelines for donated food, alongside recent audits of the nutritional value and safety of donated foods [42,43]. Significant satisfaction between quantity, variety, and quality indicates these are related concepts for consumers, regardless of their age, gender, education, or income ( Table 6). ...
Food banks are providing crucial relief as food insecurity increases worldwide. While these services are essential for vulnerable populations, there is variability in foods available and users may experience poor nutritional quality, and an overabundance of discretionary foods, contributing to public health risks including overnutrition and obesity. Understanding how customers perceive food availability, variety, and quality is important to inform relief services and health interventions. This study reports the findings of a convergent parallel mixed-methods investigation of user experiences and perceptions of food availability, variety, and quality at a major food bank in Western Australia. Food bank customers (N = 207) at a food bank branch and mobile van locations completed a survey, with an option to complete a subsequent semi-structured interview (n = 15). Approximately 80% of the survey sample had low (48%) or very low (30%) food security, half of the sample had been using the food bank for longer than 6 months, and 77% reported the food bank as their first choice for food. Three-quarters (77%) reported financial barriers to a balanced diet in the past twelve months and described how limited availability and variety complicated shopping. Interviewees explained complex perceptions of these issues, including favouring healthy food while considering discretionary food as a “luxury” that enhanced their quality of life. Our findings suggest that food bank users experience barriers to maintaining a balanced diet, encounter variable supplies of healthy and nutritious foods, and have concerns about the impacts of frequent discretionary food consumption. These findings have implications for public health promotion.
... However, FW reduction behaviours such as surplus food donations and intentions to throw leftover food are relatively less studied (Rao et al., 2022;Sundin et al., 2022). It was found that consumers often make informal and inconsistent decisions when it comes to donating surplus food, which requires more attention (Mossenson et al., 2024). This study made an effort to cover the gap by developing a model and testing it using Pakistani dinners. ...
Limited studies are available on the drivers of surplus food donation and intentions to throw away leftover food, particularly for Pakistan’s developing economy. The current study covers this gap by constructing a research model that describes surplus food donations and intentions to throw leftover food in restaurants. The research model considers the four important drivers of food waste: Food quality, novelty, quantity and motives for taking away leftovers. This study conducted a cross-sectional survey comprised of 1,178 diners. The study findings show that food quality, novelty, quantity and motives for taking away leftovers are significantly related to food waste reduction behaviour (intentions to donate surplus food and throw leftovers brought home). In addition, the findings indicate that participants’ ages have a significant and direct influence on the behaviour of food waste reduction. This study made an effort to cover the gap by developing a model and testing it using Pakistani diners.
Food banks can improve food donation administration, provide real-time inventory tracking, and guarantee compliance with food safety regulations by incorporating blockchain technology. The efficiency, openness, and dependability of food bank supply chains are greatly increased by this integration, leading to more sustainable and successful operations. This study focuses on two primary objectives: identifying key barriers to effective Food bank supply chain (FBSC) operations in blockchain adoption and exploring the interrelationships among these barriers. Barriers were categorized into external and internal frameworks and analyzed using insights from academics and FBs experts. The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) methodology was employed to model and quantify the causal relationships among these barriers. DEMATEL's strength lies in its ability to map interdependencies and feedback loops, providing a nuanced understanding of the links between independent and dependent variables in a cause-and-effect network. To address subjectivity and ambiguity in expert opinions during group decision-making, rough theory was integrated with DEMATEL, ensuring a robust approach to handling conflicting perspectives and uncertainty.
Aim
To analyse the nutritional quality of ready meals produced by a food relief charity in Melbourne, Victoria, to identify areas of nutritional strength and opportunities for improvement.
Methods
Data for this cross‐sectional study were collected over 30 consecutive cooking days in January–February, May–June, and October–November 2023. Chefs used pre‐specified, standardised forms to collect data such as raw ingredients and cooked weights. Data collected were entered into FoodWorks 10 for analysis. Average nutrient content and number of food group serves per meal were reported. Six criteria were used to assess nutritional quality, for noncommunicable disease prevention: contains ≥1 serve (i.e., ≥75 g) non‐starchy vegetables per meal, does not contain processed meats, used wholegrains, sodium <700 mg/meal, sugar <15 g/100 g, and unsaturated: saturated fat ratio ≥2:1.
Results
Ninety meal batches were collected and analysed per single meal serving. All meals contained ≥1 serve of non‐starchy vegetables and <15 g of sugar/100 g. Two out of 90 meals contained processed meats (i.e., sausages), and only one meal used wholegrains. Half of all meals met the <700 mg sodium/meal criteria, with the meals containing a mean (SD) 794 mg (378.5) of sodium. Most meals (62%) did not meet the ≥2:1 unsaturated: saturated fat ratio.
Conclusions
Meals contained adequate non‐starchy vegetable content, were low in sugar, and had minimal use of processed meats. Improvements could be made to their wholegrain, sodium, and fat content. Improving the nutritional quality of charitable meals could significantly improve recipients' health, without detracting from the call for policy action on food insecurity.
Background
Sufficient, safe and nutritious food is unattainable for many people experiencing severe food insecurity, putting them at dietary risk. Food banks, a growing part of the charitable food system (CFS), are the main source of food relief in developed countries. Donations of surplus, unsalable food from supermarkets, producers and manufacturers is the main source of the food supply, and this can be unpredictable, insufficient and inappropriate. The universal performance indicator of food-banking success is a weight-based measure, complemented by various initiatives to track the nutritional quality of food provided. There is currently no method that assesses the dietary risk of donated food related to nutrition and food safety. This protocol describes a method developed to identify and assess the dietary risk of donated food at an Australian food bank including the type, amount, nutrition quality, and food safety.
Methods
An audit of all food donated to a food bank servicing one Australian state was conducted over five consecutive days in May 2022. The audit process used a mobile device to take photographs of all incoming deliveries to the food bank. The images were manually annotated to document the type of food, product information (brand and product name, variety), the donor’s name, weight (kilograms), and date-marking details. Data was extracted from the photographs and assessed against pre-determined dietary risk criterion for food safety (date marking, damaged packaging, visible food spoilage) and nutrition quality according to the principles of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, and the NOVA classification of level of processing.
Discussion
Fifteen hundred images were required to assess the dietary risk of 86,050 kg of donated food. There were 72 separate donations, largely from supermarkets and food manufacturers. Data analysis will enable identification of dietary risk, particularly for nutrition quality and food safety. This is important given the absence of food regulation for CFS donations, and the vulnerability of the client group. This protocol highlights the need for more transparency and accountability from food donors, about the food they donate.
Objective:
This review aims to synthesize the literature describing policy approaches to nutrition-focused food banking in industrialized countries, spanning the period 2000 to October 2021.
Background:
The charitable food system provides food assistance to increasing numbers of people experiencing food insecurity in industrialized countries. Calls to improve the nutrition quality of foods provided by foods banks, pantries, and shelves have increased, yet little is known about the challenges faced when initiating policy in this setting.
Methods:
A protocol based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews Guidelines was developed and registered with Open Science Framework. Four electronic databases (MEDLINE [Ovid], Global Health, ProQuest, and Scopus) were searched for peer-reviewed articles published in English. A gray literature search was conducted using Google Advanced Search.
Results:
Of 642 peer-reviewed articles screened, 15 were eligible for inclusion. In addition, 24 gray literature documents were included. These 39 papers were assessed against the Iron Triangle of Hunger Relief and the Campbell et al framework of organizational factors. Six themes were identified: (1) there is a moral imperative to take action to ensure the provision of appropriate and nutritious food for vulnerable clients; (2) nutrition policies are unlikely to be formalized; (3) the unpredictability of donated food is a barrier to providing healthy foods; (4) reliance on donations affects the sector's willingness to reduce the unhealthy inventory for fear of losing donors, and the challenges of managing donor relationships were emphasized; (5) organizational capacity (volunteer workforce, executive leadership support) must be considered; (6) the existing measure of success is a weight-based metric that does not support food banks' prioritizing of healthy foods. These, and other characteristics, were incorporated into an adapted framework.
Conclusion:
There is a need and opportunity for nutrition-focused food banking. A priority action area is the adoption of an outcome metric that is based on nutritional quality, to reorient the charitable food system.
Packaging is an integral part of the food industry associated with food quality and safety in-cluding food shelf life, and communications from the marketing perspective. Traditional food packaging provides the protection of food from damage and storage of food products until be-ing consumed. Packaging also presents branding and nutritional information and promotes marketing. Over the past decades, plastic films were employed as a barrier to keep food stuffs safe from heat, moisture, microorganisms, dust, and dirt particles. Recent advancements have incorporated additional functionalities in barrier films to enhance the shelf life of food, such as active packaging and intelligent packaging. In addition, consumer perception has influences on packaging materials and designs. The current trend of consumers pursuing environmen-tal-friendly packaging is increased. With the progress of applied technologies in the food sector, sustainable packaging has been emerging in response to consumer preferences and environ-mental obligations. This paper reviews the importance of food packaging in relation to food quality and safety; the development and applications of advanced smart, active, and intelligent packaging systems, and the properties of an oxygen barrier. The advantages and disadvantages of these packaging are discussed. Consumer perceptions regarding environmental-friendly packaging that could be applied in the food industry are also discussed.
Background:
Research indicates that food parcels provided by foodbanks are nutritionally-poor. Food insecurity and foodbank use are rising, with detrimental effects on the dietary intake and health of users. This mixed-method systematic review aims to investigate the current nutritional adequacy of pre-packaged food parcels and whether using foodbanks reduces the food insecurity and improves the dietary intake of their users.
Methodology:
A mixed-method systematic literature review, restricted to articles published from 2015, was conducted using 8 electronic databases, 4 grey literature databases and 8 relevant websites. Quantitative findings, investigating the nutritional quality of food parcels and/or their impact on dietary intake or food insecurity, were presented narratively. Qualitative findings, reporting views of foodbank users regarding foodbank food, underwent thematic synthesis. These independent syntheses were integrated using configurative analysis and presented narratively.
Results:
Of 2,189 articles, 11 quantitative and 10 qualitative were included. Food parcels were inconsistent at meeting nutritional requirements and often failed to meet individual needs, including cultural and health preferences. Using foodbanks improved food security and dietary quality of users, allowing otherwise unachievable access to food. However, food insecurity remained, explained by limited food variety, quality and choice. The mixed-method findings support interventions to ensure consistent, adequate nutrition at foodbanks, including catering for individual needs.
Conclusions:
Foodbanks are a lifeline when severely food insecure. However alone, foodbanks struggle to eliminate the heightened food insecurity of their users. Efforts to improve the nutritional quality of food parcels could improve the experiences and diet-related outcomes of those requiring foodbanks. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Surplus food redistribution (SFR) is hailed as a ‘win-win’ strategy to address both household food insecurity and food waste. However, SFR is condemned as being a ‘band-aid’ solution that addresses neither the fundamental socio-economic causes of poverty, nor the systematic roots of food waste. This research aims to set an agenda for the future of SFR in the UK for the next five to 10 years, including policy interventions required to achieve this future. To this end, it critically examines the motivations, challenges and perspectives on SFR in the UK, explores the ideal future scenario of SFR (by reimagining the ‘win-win’ scenario), and identifies intervention pathways leading to this future. It achieves this through a participatory, mixed methods research design of 17 interviews, explorative scenario building and normative back casting exercises with 40 relevant SFR stakeholders across the private, public and third sectors. It concludes that SFR paradoxically reinforces the same problems it attempts to solve. The future of SFR lies in truly sustainable food systems that meet the needs of the people and deliver socio-economic benefits whilst respecting planetary boundaries. In this future, SFR is no longer required as a solution for food waste or household food insecurity. Finally, the study identifies five pathways leading to this future: i) rejecting the SFR ‘win-win’ narrative ii) tackling systematic food overproduction iii) eradicating poverty iv) balancing uneven power distribution amongst food systems actors, and v) delivering food security within planetary boundaries. The proposed interventions are relevant to food and waste policies, and offer insights to transition pathways for sustainable food and other socio-technical systems.
Many industrialized nations have followed the lead of the United States (US) in reducing workers’ wages and cutting government safety nets, while giving their populaces the false impression that non-governmental organizations can meet the food and basic survival needs of their low-income residents. The history of the last 50 years and the global COVID-19 pandemic demonstrate why that is a mistake, leading to vastly increased household food insecurity, poverty, and hunger. This paper takes a close look at US data to help to better understand the significant impact US federal government policy measures had on limiting hunger throughout the pandemic and how we can learn from these outcomes to finally end hunger in America and other developed nations. The top three policy prescriptions vital in ending household food insecurity in the US and industrialized countries are as follows: (1) to create jobs; raise wages; make high quality healthcare and prescription medicine free; and ensure that high quality childcare, education, transportation, and broad-band access are affordable to all; (2) to enact a comprehensive “Assets Empowerment Agenda” to help low-income people move from owing to owning in order to develop middle-class wealth; and (3) when the above two steps are inadequate, ensure a robust government safety net for struggling residents that provides cash, food, and housing assistance.
Introduction:
Food pantries serve households in need, including many with a family member with a diet-related chronic disease, yet data on client priorities to inform hunger relief practices are lacking. We used a statewide client survey in Minnesota to determine needs and priorities of food pantry clients in 2017 and 2019 and to identify how well Minnesota pantries met those needs in 2019.
Methods:
Our survey was administered in 2017 and 2019. Food pantries in Minnesota were mailed 25 surveys each, with instructions for administering the surveys anonymously to clients. Descriptive analyses compared 2017 and 2019 data and compared client priorities for foods and services with how often they were available at the pantry in 2019.
Results:
The 2017 survey represented 4,321 clients from 188 pantries; the 2019 survey represented 5,529 clients from 220 pantries. Most measures of food pantry use were consistently high across the years; about three-quarters of clients had been visiting the pantry for a year or more. In 2019, 85% of clients said it was important to have fresh fruits and vegetables, but only 52% said these were always available. About two-thirds had a household member with a diet-related chronic disease. The ability to choose their own foods was clients' top priority.
Conclusion:
The types of food most requested by clients tended to be healthy but were inconsistently available. Most important to clients was being able to choose their own food. Results underscore the need for continued monitoring of client priorities.
Rates of food insecurity have increased substantially in the United States (US), and more families are turning to the charitable food system to help meet their needs. Prior studies have examined the nutritional quality of foods offered through food banks, but little is known about what government policies may shape the healthy food donation landscape. The purpose of this study was to review US federal policies that impact food and beverage donations to food banks and assess whether policies encourage healthy food donations. In spring 2020, two researchers independently reviewed federal food and beverage donation policies using predefined search terms in two legal databases. We identified six categories of policies based on the existing food donation literature and themes that emerged in the policy review. We identified 42 federal policies spanning six categories that addressed food and beverage donations to food banks. The largest category was “government programs,” with 19 (45%) policies. The next largest category was “donation via schools,” with 12 (29%) policies. However, no policies specifically addressed the nutritional quality of food donations. There is an opportunity for the federal government to strengthen food bank donation policies and improve the nutritional quality of donated foods and beverages.
Currently, food waste represents an important issue due to its negative economic, social and environmental impact. To reduce the food waste levels, some retailers' brands implement discounting based on the proximity to expiry. Since this practice may involve potential food poisoning, a total of 94 food products from animal origin, purchased in two supermarkets in North Portugal on the expiry date, were analyzed for selected foodborne and spoilage microorganisms. Moreover, the samples were classified as satisfactory and not satisfactory according to their microbiological quality. The results showed that none of the samples presented counts for Salmonella spp., S. aureus, B. cereus. L. monocytogenes was detected in one sample over the limit of 2 log cfu/g as defined by Regulation 2073/2005. The evaluation of food hygiene and spoilage indicators showed that the processed foods displayed lower counts than raw products (beef, pork, chicken and fish). Regarding Enterobacteriaceae, raw products presented on average over 2 log cfu/g than processed foods, with the exception of beef samples that accounted over 3 log cfu/g more than processed foods. In addition, E. coli was mainly detected in fresh meat of which chicken and pork displayed the highest counts. Regarding the qualitative classification, 51.06% of the samples were not satisfactory for the total mesophilic counts, while 62.76% and 58.51% displayed positive results for Enterobacteriaceae and molds and yeasts (M&Y) criteria, respectively. In all, 70.21% of the samples analyzed at the expiry date failed, at least, in one microbiological criterion. The results indicate that the foods available at the end of the shelf life in supermarkets do not represent a risk for food poisoning due to the absence of foodborne pathogens. Since the microbiological indicators of storage/handling of raw products were mainly unsatisfactory, this indicates that the sale of these perishable foods at the end of the shelf life may not be recommended. On the other hand, processed products subjected to food conservation procedures (i.e., thermal processing) could be sold at the end of their shelf life or donated beyond the best-before date, due to its physical, chemical and microbiological stability. However, evidences of foodborne outbreaks associated to this kind of foodstuffs indicated the need of a proper risk assessment. Moreover, it is important to remark that other factors such as small sample size, the absence of the evaluation of the handling, and storage conditions along the food chain or organoleptic alterations must be assessed in further studies.
Background:
Food control is defined as a mandatory regulatory activity of enforcement aimed at ensuring that all foods during production, handling, storage, processing, and distribution are safe, wholesome, and fit for human consumption; conform to safety and quality requirements; and are honestly and accurately labeled as prescribed by law. This applies to food served by the conventional food supply chain as well as the charitable food assistance programs (CFAPs). This review sought to map the available evidence on the food control in the CFAPs globally.
Methods:
In order to identify the literature, we developed a series of search terms, as well as parameters for including articles to review the literature using African Index Medicus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and EBSCOhost (MEDLINE with full text, Academic search complete, MEDLINE) search engines. Articles were also searched through the "Cited by" search as well as citations included in the reference lists of included articles. We included studies reported in all languages and published from inception to 2018. We included studies if they presented evidence of the CFAPs, namely food banks, food charitable organizations (FCOs), pantries, community soup kitchens, and emergency shelters. We presented the results of our search using thematic analysis in order to reveal the emerging themes.
Results:
Beyond inconsistencies with the classification of the CFAPs, our study found significant knowledge gaps in crucial areas, namely food vulnerability, food traceability, vulnerability of beneficiary populations, and lack of food control. Our search yielded a total of 23 articles, which we included in the analysis. Results show that while food is the critical commodity to saving lives, if not controlled properly, it can have an adverse effect, especially on people it is meant to benefit (the vulnerable).
Conclusion:
With no previous comprehensive review to assess what is known about food control in the CFAPs, we undertook a scoping review, focusing on mapping the key concepts, including the main sources and types of evidence available. By drawing conclusions about the overall state of research activity and identifying research gaps and priorities in the existing literature, this study provides a baseline assessment of the CFAP research published in peer-reviewed journals from inception to 2018.
Inadequate social protection, stagnant wages, unemployment, and homelessness are associated with Australian household food insecurity. Little is known about the recipients of food charity and whether their needs are being met. This cross-sectional study of 101 food charity recipients in Perth, Western Australia, measured food security, weight status, sociodemographic characteristics and food acquisition practices. Seventy-nine percent were male, aged 21–79 years, 90% were unemployed, 87% received social assistance payments, and 38% were homeless. Ninety-one percent were food insecure, 80% with hunger, and 56% had gone a day or more without eating in the previous week. Fifty-seven percent had used food charity for ≥1 year, and, of those, 7.5 years was the mode. Charitable services were the main food source in the previous week, however 76% used multiple sources. Begging for money for food (36%), begging for food (32%), stealing food or beverages (34%), and taking food from bins (28%) was commonplace. The omnipresence and chronicity of food insecurity, reliance on social security payments, and risky food acquisition suggest that both the social protection and charitable food systems are failing. Urgent reforms are needed to address the determinants of food insecurity (e.g., increased social assistance payments, employment and housing support) and the adequacy, appropriateness and effectiveness of food charity.
Improving population diets is a public health priority, and calls have been made for corporations such as supermarkets to contribute. Supermarkets hold a powerful position within the food system, and one source of power is supermarket own brand foods (SOBFs). Many of the world’s largest supermarkets have corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies that can impact public health, but little is known about their quality or practical application. This study examines the nature and quality of Australian supermarkets’ CSR policies that can impact public health nutrition, and provides evidence of practical applications for SOBFs. A content analysis of CSR policies was conducted. Evidence of supermarkets putting CSR policies into practice was derived from observational audits of 3940 SOBFs in three large exemplar supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths, IGA) in Perth, Western Australia (WA). All supermarkets had some CSR policies that could impact public health nutrition; however, over half related to sustainability, and many lacked specificity. All supermarkets sold some nutritious SOBFs, using marketing techniques that made them visible. Findings suggest Australian supermarket CSR policies are not likely to adequately contribute to improving population diets or sustainability of food systems. Setting robust and meaningful targets, and improving transparency and specificity of CSR policies, would improve the nature and quality of supermarket CSR policies and increase the likelihood of a public health benefit.
The United States has one of the highest rates of hunger and food insecurity in the industrialized world, with poor households, single parents, and communities of color disproportionately affected. Food pantries—run by charitable and faith-based organizations—rather than legal entitlements have become a cornerstone of the government's efforts to end hunger. In Feeding the Other, Rebecca de Souza argues that food pantries stigmatize their clients through a discourse that emphasizes hard work, self help, and economic productivity rather than food justice and equity. De Souza describes this “framing, blaming, and shaming” as “neoliberal stigma” that recasts the structural issue of hunger as a problem for the individual hungry person.
De Souza shows how neoliberal stigma plays out in practice through a comparative case analysis of two food pantries in Duluth, Minnesota. Doing so, she documents the seldom-acknowledged voices, experiences, and realities of people living with hunger. She describes the failure of public institutions to protect citizens from poverty and hunger; the white privilege of pantry volunteers caught between neoliberal narratives and social justice concerns; the evangelical conviction that food assistance should be “a hand up, not a handout”; the culture of suspicion in food pantry spaces; and the constraints on food choice. It is only by rejecting the neoliberal narrative and giving voice to the hungry rather than the privileged, de Souza argues, that food pantries can become agents of food justice.
Food security and safety issues have been central to Extension programming since its inception, but emerging concerns over the issues of food waste and system inefficiency have brought new challenges to the forefront. Social change ideas related to reducing food waste include use of secondary quality produce, date label elimination, repurposing of food scraps, and donation and gleaning of food. Implementation of these ideas often intersects with issues of food safety. Therefore, it is incumbent on Extension professionals nationwide to consider how best to use content and expertise to address modern food security, food waste, and food safety challenges.
Background
Supermarkets have unprecedented political and economic power in the food system and an inherent responsibility to demonstrate good corporate citizenship via corporate social responsibility (CSR). The aim of this study was to investigate the world’s largest and most powerful supermarkets’ publically available CSR commitments to determine their potential impact on public health.
Methods
The world’s largest 100 retailers were identified using the Global Powers of Retailing report. Thirty-one supermarkets that published corporate reports referring to CSR or sustainability, in English, between 2013 and 2018, were included and thematically analysed.
Results
Although a large number of themes were identified (n = 79), and there were differences between each business, supermarket CSR commitments focused on five priorities: donating surplus food to charities for redistribution to feed the hungry; reducing and recovering food waste; sustainably sourcing specific ingredients including seafood, palm oil, soy and cocoa; governance of food safety; and growing the number of own brand foods available, that are made by suppliers to meet supermarkets’ requirements.
Conclusions
CSR commitments made by 31 of the world’s largest supermarkets showed they appeared willing to take steps to improve sustainable sourcing of specific ingredients, but there was little action being taken to support health and nutrition. Although some supermarket CSR initiatives showed promise, the world’s largest supermarkets could do more to use their power to support public health. It is recommended they should: (1) transparently report food waste encompassing the whole of the food system in their waste reduction efforts; (2) support healthful and sustainable diets by reducing production and consumption of discretionary foods, meat, and other ingredients with high social and environmental impacts; (3) remove unhealthful confectionery, snacks, and sweetened beverages from prominent in-store locations; (4) ensure a variety of minimally processed nutritious foods are widely available; and (5) introduce initiatives to make healthful foods more affordable, support consumers to select healthful and sustainable foods, and report healthful food sales as a proportion of total food sales, using transparent criteria for key terms.
There is limited evidence of how Australian low-to-middle income (AUD 40,000–80,000) households maintain food security. Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods methodology, this study explored and compared the food security (FS) and insecurity (FIS) experiences of these households. An initial quantitative survey categorised participants according to food security status (the 18-item United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module) and income level to identify and purposefully select participants to qualitatively explore food insecurity and security experiences. Of the total number of survey participants (n = 134), 42 were categorised as low-to-middle income. Of these, a subset of 16 participants (8 FIS and 8 FS) was selected, and each participant completed an in-depth interview. The interviews explored precursors, strategies to prevent or address food insecurity, and the implications of the experience. Interview data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Five themes emerged from the analysis: (i) food decision experiences, (ii) assets, (iii) triggers, (iv) activation of assets, and (v) consequences and emotion related to walking the food security tightrope. The leverage points across all themes were more volatile for FIS participants. Low-to-middle income Australians are facing the challenges of trying to maintain or improve their food security status, with similarities to those described in lower income groups, and should be included in approaches to prevent or address food insecurity.
Objective
The present study explored recipients’ perceptions of food charity and their suggested improvements in inner-city Perth, Western Australia.
Design
In-depth interviews were conducted with charitable food service (CFS) recipients. Transcripts were thematically analysed using a phenomenological approach.
Setting
Interviews were conducted at two CFS in inner-city Perth.
Subjects
Fourteen adults.
Results
The recipients’ journeys to a reliance on CFS were varied and multifactorial, with poverty, medical issues and homelessness common. The length of time recipients had relied on food charity ranged from 8 months to over 40 years. Most were ‘grateful yet resigned’, appreciative of any food and resigned to the poor quality, monotony and their unmet individual preferences. They wanted healthier food, more variety and better quality. Accessing services was described as a ‘full-time job’ fraught with unreliable information and transport difficulties. They called for improved information and assistance with transport. ‘Eroded dignity’ resulted from being fed without any choice and queuing for food in public places, often in a volatile environment. ‘Food memories and inclusion’ reflected a desire for commensality. Recipients suggested services offer choice and promote independence, focusing on their needs both physical and social.
Conclusions
Although grateful, long-term CFS recipients described what constitutes a voluntary failure. Their service improvement recommendations can help meet their nutritional and social needs. A successful CFS provides a food service that prioritises nutritious, good-quality food and individual need, while promoting dignity and social inclusion, challenging in the current Australian context.
Australian efforts to address food insecurity are delivered by a charitable food system (CFS) which fails to meet demand. The scope and nature of the CFS is unknown. This study audits the organisational capacity of the CFS within the 10.9 square kilometres of inner-city Perth, Western Australia. A desktop analysis of services and 12 face-to-face interviews with representatives from CFS organisations was conducted. All CFS organisations were not-for–profit and guided by humanitarian or faith-based values. The CFS comprised three indirect services (IS) sourcing, banking and/or distributing food to 15 direct services (DS) providing food to recipients. DS offered 30 different food services at 34 locations feeding over 5670 people/week via 16 models including mobile and seated meals, food parcels, supermarket vouchers, and food pantries. Volunteer to paid staff ratios were 33:1 (DS) and 19:1 (IS). System-wide, food was mainly donated and most funding was philanthropic. Only three organisations received government funds. No organisation had a nutrition policy. The organisational capacity of the CFS was precarious due to unreliable, insufficient and inappropriate financial, human and food resources and structures. System-wide reforms are needed to ensure adequate and appropriate food relief for Australians experiencing food insecurity. View Full-Text
Keywords: food insecurity; charitable food services; food charity; food system; nutrition; voluntary failure
There has been a rise in campaigning and attention focused on food waste in the domestic home
setting and across industry in terms of production, manufacturing, distribution and retailing.
At the same time, the proliferation of food banks and more general emergency food aid across the
UK has drawn attention to the problem of household food insecurity.
Calls for actions to reduce food waste and reduce food insecurity have led to recommendations for
enhancing systems to increase the redistribution of surplus food to emergency food aid charities as
a solution to food insecurity.
Our analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of the use of surplus food to feed food insecure people
highlights how this practice undermines calls for direct actions to both reduce the production of
surplus food and to address upstream drivers of food insecurity and ensure the right to food.
Recommendations call for civil society and policymakers to focus on systemic solutions to both
food waste and household food insecurity as separate entities.
While the redistribution of surplus food to emergency food aid providers provides immediate relief
in the short-term, there is no evidence to show that it addresses food insecurity.
There is evidence from other countries that the use of surplus food for emergency food aid
‘depoliticises’ hunger and allows governments not to address the gap between income and food
costs.
Full article available from: http://foodresearch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Final-Using-food-surplus-hunger-FRC-briefing-paper-24-01-17-.pdf
The most recent study, conducted by Politecnico of Milan, on food surplus management in Italy, entitled Surplus Food Management Against Food Waste , shows that in the Italian food supply chain, the food surplus is around to 5.5 million tons/year, and the amount of food wasted is around to 5.1 million tons/year. During 2015, the charitable organizations (COs) belonging to Italian Food Bank Network, active in recovering and distributing food for social solidarity’s purposes, reused 381.345 tons of food from 2.292 donors. The main supplying sources of the Banco Alimentare Network are: food industries, organized large-scale retail trade and collective catering service. The aim of this study was to analyze several aspects of the food surplus recovery thanks to the collaboration with the Fondazione Banco Alimentare Onlus (FBAO) and Caritas Italiana. In particular, two main features were analyzed in the food recovery chain: i) the microbiological profiles of specific food categories recovered from catering service with the aim to evaluate their conformity in relation to food safety and process criteria. For this purpose 11 samples were analyzed in four different moments: -‐ T0: same day of the collection; -‐ T1: after four hours of storage at 4°C; -‐ T2: 24 hours from the collection (storage at 4°C); -‐ T3: after four days at frozen storage (-18°C). For all samples several were investigated microbiological parameters: enumeration of Mesophilic aerobic bacteria (AFNOR 3M 01/1-09/89), enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae (AFNOR 3M 01/06-09/97), enumeration of E. coli (AFNOR 3M 01/08-06/01), enumeration of coagulase-positive Staphylococci AFNOR 3M 01/ 9-04/03 A), enumeration of Bacillus cereus (UNI EN ISO 7932:2005), research of Salmonella spp. (UNI EN ISO 6579 (2008b) and research of Listeria monocytogenes (AFNOR BRD 07/4-09/98 (AFNOR, 2010a)). Furthermore, ii) the volunteer’s knowledge on the correct hygienic procedures during the recovery, were evaluated by the 71 questionnaires with the aim to prevent foodborne diseases. The results show that the recovery of surplus from catering service and their reuse at COs should be planned with correct procedures, and the volunteer’s knowledge on the hygienic aspects appear to be a critical point. The recovery and the charitable activities require an appropriate assessment and careful risk analysis, in order to manage the complexity of no profit organization.
Aim:
The aim of this study is to understand whether the freezing without a rapid blast chiller represents a storage method for food at the end of shelf life that guarantees microbiological food safety, so to be considered an effective tool for the appropriate management of food in charitable organizations.
Methods:
The study has been performed on 90 food samples, among those that a charitable foodservice trust receives by the large-scale distribution. The products have been frozen using a domestic refrigerator. The indicators used were: total aerobic microbial count, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter spp, sulphite reducing clostridia.
Results:
The results show that the preservation of the chosen fresh products at the end of shelf life in refrigerators, frozen without the use of chillers, is a potential management strategy to avoid the loss of edible food, while maintaining the safety standards.
By examining corporate social responsibility (CSR) and power within the context of the food supply chain, this paper illustrates how food retailers claim to address food waste while simultaneously setting standards that result in the large-scale rejection of edible food on cosmetic grounds. Specifically, this paper considers the powerful role of food retailers and how they may be considered to be legitimately engaging in socially responsible behaviors to lower food waste, yet implement practices that ultimately contribute to higher levels of food waste elsewhere in the supply chain. Through interviews with key actors in the Australian fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain, we highlight the existence of a legitimacy gap in corporate social responsibility whereby undesirable behaviors are pushed elsewhere in the supply chain. It is argued that the structural power held by Australia’s retail duopoly means that supermarkets are able to claim virtuous and responsible behaviors, despite counter claims from within the fresh food industry that the food supermarkets’ private quality standards mean that fresh food is wasted. We argue that the supermarkets claim CSR kudos for reducing food waste at the expense of other supply chain actors who bear both the economic cost and the moral burden of waste, and that this is a consequence of supermarkets’ remarkable market power in Australia.
Across six experiments, the authors demonstrate that superficial imperfections in the form of packaging damage can engender negative consumer reactions that shape subsequent attitudes and behaviors in ways that are not always objectively justified. Their findings show that these reactions function in a relatively automatic fashion, even emerging under conditions in which the packaging damage does not convey information about a health and safety threat from the product. The authors extend work on contagion to show that superficial packaging damage can act as a contamination cue, automatically activating thoughts of contamination and health and safety concerns. This tendency to avoid superficial packaging damage can be eliminated by counteracting these thoughts of contamination. This can be done with positive brand associations (i.e., by branding the product as organic) or by creating a physical buffer between the packaging damage and the product itself. The authors close with a discussion of implications for marketers, consumers, and public policy makers.
Almost one in seven American households were food insecure in 2012, experiencing difficulty in providing enough food for all family members due to a lack of resources. Food pantries assist a food-insecure population through emergency food provision, but there is a paucity of information on the food safety-related operating procedures used in the pantries. Food pantries operate in a variable regulatory landscape; in some jurisdictions, they are treated equivalent to restaurants, while in others, they operate outside of inspection regimes. By using a mixed methods approach to catalog the standard operating procedures related to food in 105 food pantries from 12 North Carolina counties, we evaluated their potential impact on food safety. Data collected through interviews with pantry managers were supplemented with observed food safety practices scored against a modified version of the North Carolina Food Establishment Inspection Report. Pantries partnered with organized food bank networks were compared with those that operated independently. In this exploratory research, additional comparisons were examined for pantries in metropolitan areas versus nonmetropolitan areas and pantries with managers who had received food safety training versus managers who had not. The results provide a snapshot of how North Carolina food pantries operate and document risk mitigation strategies for foodborne illness for the vulnerable populations they serve. Data analysis reveals gaps in food safety knowledge and practice, indicating that pantries would benefit from more effective food safety training, especially focusing on formalizing risk management strategies. In addition, new tools, procedures, or policy interventions might improve information actualization by food pantry personnel.
Problem definition: For grocery retailers, managing perishable food that is nearing expiry is a major challenge. Donating food to food banks is socially responsible, as it improves local communities and reduces waste generation. It also diverts food to a secondary, quality-differentiated market. Academic/practical relevance: In this paper, we quantify the economic impacts of this secondary market for food by examining donation and pricing behaviors for competing retailers. Methodology: We use a structural model of price-discriminating oligopoly retailers to study the effect of food donations on store and category-level demand and equilibrium prices. Empirically, we estimate the food donation effect using a unique data set of food donations and sales for several categories of perishable foods across two major retail chains that compete in the same market. Results: The competitive effects of food donations follow from the price-discrimination logic. First, food donations create a direct demand effect. Donations raise the average quality of products on display, shifting demand curves inward and rotating them clockwise (e.g., more inelastic). Second, food donations create a market enhancement effect, softening price competition and raising equilibrium prices among competing retailers. Managerial implications: Food donations increase food prices and store profits, tying the socially responsible option to an economic benefit. This study contributes a new type of reuse operation to the literature on closed-loop supply chains.
Funding: Funding from the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (National Institute for Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture) [Grant 2020-67021-31377] is acknowledged.
Supplemental Material: The online supplement is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.1185 .
This edited collection provides the first comprehensive study of the rise of food charity across Europe. Bringing together leading researchers across the continent, this collection explores the driving forces behind this phenomenon and its implications into the future, from a social policy perspective. The book incorporates cases studies from Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom. Each empirical case study chapter explores: the histories of food charity in the national context; key changes in social policy and their relationship to food charity; and the implications for social justice. The result is the first book to offer a systematic comparative study of the rise of food charity across Europe. It provides urgently needed evidence on these trends which will be of use to academics, policy makers and practitioners who are grappling with the practical implications of these phenomena.
While private food assistance has long been a key component of the social safety net in many parts of the world, the literature examining the organization and effectiveness of private food assistance is relatively small with some substantial contributions coming only recently. In this article we describe the literature on private food assistance in high income countries, largely focusing on food banks and pantries. We offer an overview of the scope and nature of these services, their management and clientele. We also describe trends, opportunities, and limitations in research on private food assistance.
The study aim was to investigate the role of foodbanks in the context of food insecurity and explore food choices and eating behaviours amongst users. Food insecurity is associated with poor diet quality and obesity; however, the dimensions that influence food choices and eating behaviour remain unclear. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with individuals who had visited a faith-based foodbank in Perth, Western Australia. Participants were thirty-three service users who had collected a food hamper from the foodbank. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Four main themes emerged: Ties you over until pay day; Food hamper supporting meals and fruit and vegetable consumption; Food choices supplementing hamper; Household gatekeeping and food control. Participants were complimentary about the content of the food hamper received which included a variety of fresh produce. A key new finding was the frequent purchase and consumption of meat and processed meat to supplement the food hamper provision. Future work and interventions to improve eating behaviour and reduce food-related financial pressure for those vulnerable to food insecurity include further exploration of the dimensions influencing food choices (i.e., cultural norms, habits, symbols); exposure to healthy and tasty plant-based meals, (i.e., tasting low-cost and tasty vegetable-based meals); parenting training focused on handling child/partner food choice influences, and, enforcing household rules governing food.
Food banks are one of the most common responses to food insecurity in Canada, but there has been little research to examine experiences of longer-term food insecurity and food bank access This study aims to examine experiences associated with accessing food banks over two consecutive time points. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at baseline (n = 29) and six months later (n = 20) with people who have accessed a food bank in Ottawa, Canada. The findings illustrate the variation in social and emotional experiences and a common theme of long-term and regular access to food banks among people with an income insufficient to meet their basic household needs.
Food pantries are community-based organizations that provide food to prevalently low and very low food secure households, presenting an opportune point of contact and potential site for interventions. This review evaluates the food security, dietary quality, dietary intake and health outcomes of U.S. adults served by food pantries and the potential for interventions based in food pantries to improve these outcomes. Results from the 15 included studies showed the prevalence of food insecurity and very low food security among food pantry clients was higher than national estimates at up to 89% and 52%, respectively; dietary quality was up to 20 points lower on the Healthy Eating Index compared with U.S. adults; intake for 16 nutrients did not meet the Estimated Average Requirement or exceed the Average Intake for 30% to 100% of clients; and a strikingly high prevalence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and related conditions, and depressive symptoms were present among U.S. food pantry users. Interventions in food pantries have been successful in improving food security, weight and diabetic control but not dietary quality or intake. However, these few interventions hold promise and present a need for further research investment to address food security, dietary intake and health outcomes among food pantry clients.
A racial and ethnically diverse sample of clients (N = 230) visiting four food pantries were surveyed about: (a) their level of support for interventions designed to promote healthy food choices in pantries; (b) why they select specific items in pantries, and (c) how shopping at the food pantry fits into their monthly food acquisitions. While there was fairly high overall support for strategies to promote nutrition in pantries, Black clients were significantly more supportive of nutrition interventions than clients belonging to other ethnic and racial groups. Study participants from all ethnic and racial subgroups rated nutrition as the most important factor when selecting pantry items, and stated that they worry most about running out of meat, dairy, and produce. Clients reported that they visit pantries as often as they go to the grocery store, and more frequently than they go to dollar stores, supercenters, and convenience stores. These findings suggest that food pantry clients care deeply about the nutritional quality of the food options in pantries and are supportive of strategies to help them make healthier choices
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of asylum seekers who were entitled to use a foodbank but who had ceased attending the service, to understand why they were not using the charity, and to investigate their food-related experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed a mixed-method approach utilising telephone interviews. Interviews were conducted with 70 asylum seekers in Melbourne, Australia, between September 2015 and February 2016. Interviews explored food-related settlement experiences, food insecurity and experiences of hunger.
Findings
Two-thirds of participants were identified as experiencing food insecurity. Despite food and financial insecurity, participants were not using the foodbank as frequently as they were entitled as: the food was not culturally or religiously appropriate to them; asylum seekers with income felt uncomfortable taking food from others who were perceived to be in greater need; or because they were experiencing transport barriers. Participants also experienced a range of physical and mental health concerns.
Originality/value
Ensuring asylum seekers have access to culturally appropriate foods and services is essential. However, given the diversity in foodbank membership, it may not be feasible to provide all of the desired foods at no cost; instead, increased access to culturally appropriate foods may be achieved through a subsidy programme. Novel or alternative approaches to community engagement and food distribution may be needed to increase food security and to decrease hunger in this group.
In the world’s most affluent and food secure societies, why is it now publicly acceptable to feed donated surplus food, dependent on corporate food waste, to millions of hungry people? While recognizing the moral imperative to feed hungry people, this book challenges the effectiveness, sustainability and moral legitimacy of globally entrenched corporate food banking as the primary response to rich world food poverty. It investigates the prevalence and causes of domestic hunger and food waste in OECD member states, the origins and thirty-year rise of US style charitable food banking, and its institutionalization and corporatization. It unmasks the hidden functions of transnational corporate food banking which construct domestic hunger as a matter for charity thereby allowing indifferent and austerity-minded governments to ignore increasing poverty and food insecurity and their moral, legal and political obligations, under international law, to realize the right to food. The book’s unifying theme is understanding the food bank nation as a powerful metaphor for the deep hole at the centre of neoliberalism, illustrating: the de-politicization of hunger; the abandonment of social rights; the stigma of begging and loss of human dignity; broken social safety nets; the dysfunctional food system; the shift from income security to charitable food relief; and public policy neglect. It exposes the hazards of corporate food philanthropy and the moral vacuum within negligent governments and their lack of public accountability. The advocacy of civil society with a right to food bite is urgently needed to gather political will and advance ‘joined-up’ policies and courses of action to ensure food security for all.
This short book reviews the provision of food bank and other emergency food aid provision with a specific focus on the UK, whilst drawing lessons from North America, Brazil and Europe. The authors look at the historical positioning of food aid and the growth of the food aid sector in the UK following the period of austerity 2007-2012, before addressing the causes of food insecurity and concluding that food banks are a symptom of austerity and government inaction which fail to tackle the underlying causes of food poverty. The research is timely, and considers a range of disciplines and practices. This book will appeal to researchers, policy makers and practitioners food economics, welfare economics, public policy, public health, food studies, nutrition, and the wider social sciences.
Purpose:
Food banks have become the main response to food insecurity in many high-income countries, but it has been argued that they lack the capacity to respond consistently and fully to the food needs of the people who use them. This literature review set out to answer the question 'how do food bank recipients experience food relief services and how does this impact their lives and wellbeing?'
Results:
A comprehensive search of electronic databases yielded twenty qualitative studies, conducted in developed countries, exploring user perspectives of food banks. From the studies reviewed, there emerged three main categories that represented the different aspects of the food bank process from the food bank user's perspective: the user's perceptions about the idea of being fed from food banks, the user's perceptions about food bank offerings and operations, and the socio-psychological impact of receiving food from food banks. While participants of these studies spoke positively of the volunteers and were thankful for the service, they also consistently report limited food choice, poor quality, shame, stigma and embarrassment associated with food bank use.
Conclusions:
The food bank industry continues to expand despite there being little evidence that food banks are an appropriate response for those facing food insecurity. This is worrying as the results of this review indicate that although participants value the service provided by the food bank, the experience can be largely negative. These findings raise questions about the food bank model as a long-term strategy.
The food donation process in Belgium is mapped and analyzed to identify bottlenecks in compliance with the legal framework and implementation of food safety management, based on literature search and interviews with stakeholders (donors, acceptors, regulators and facilitators) in Belgium and at EU level. The study revealed that the food donation/acceptation chain is far less structured and organized than the conventional food supply chain. The fragmented landscape of many small food banks and charity organizations (acceptors), often directed by and working with volunteers without training in food safety and lack of knowledge of legal food hygiene requirements is a bottleneck to generate trust among food donors and restricts the provision of perishable products in food donations. Lack of refrigerated transport and insufficient cold/freezing capacity in food banks and charity organizations was identified as a barrier to distribute perishable products. Furthermore, in two cities in Flanders (Belgium), at some food donation centers, donated perishable food samples (n = 72) were taken and subjected to microbiological analysis to determine their overall food quality, hygiene and food safety status. Twenty-two of 72 analyzed samples showed marginal microbiological quality based on numbers of yeast, lactic acid bacteria or total viable count. In three samples Listeria monocytogenes was detected per 25. g among which one ready-to-eat cooked meat product which showed increased numbers of L. monocytogenes (3.5. log. CFU/g) and Enterobacteriaceae (6.7. log. CFU/g). Overall, in Belgium, most of the donated foods considers nonperishable foods, with more or less half of the food collected by the food banks being purchased with funds from FEAD (Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived) and thus not derived from food losses. Efforts are being made by facilitators to provide a platform for better coordination of donors and acceptors to make more efficient use of food losses. Regulators at the national level are taking action to clarify and provide some flexibility in food hygiene regulation and initiatives on EU level to facilitate food donation in the combat of food losses are pending. As from the side of the acceptors, it is recommended to professionalize the acceptation chain in Belgium and seek for a more harmonized approach and concerted action.
Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) recently adopted the Choose Healthy Options Program (CHOP). CHOP uses a simple algorithm that designates a 1 (choose frequently), 2 (moderately), or 3 (infrequently) to foods based on nutrient profiles. Food orders of 402 partner agencies (PAs) in Atlanta and northwest Georgia were analyzed for the 6 weeks prior to and following CHOP implementation. Additionally, 9 PAs participated in in-depth interviews to explain purchasing motivations, impact of CHOP, client feedback mechanisms, and perceptions of clients’ needs. Agencies increased their pounds of CHOP 1 foods by nearly 43% during the study period. PAs indicated that CHOP was useful for deciding between food items of the same food category that had differing CHOP rankings.
In 2015, 15.8 million households experienced food insecurity at some point during the year. One out of every 8 American households utilizes a food bank or food pantry to meet their food needs during the year. Understanding the factors that influence whether food pantries provide healthy options to clients can lead to opportunities to improve the health of food insecure individuals. Telephone interviews were conducted with food pantry staff (n = 12) in the greater St. Louis area. Using focused coding, interviews were analyzed for factors that facilitate or hinder increasing access to healthy options in food pantries. Pantry staff described barriers (e.g., perishable food storage) and facilitators (e.g., donor relationships) that affected their ability to provide clients with healthy food options. The results of this study will inform interventions aimed at improving the delivery of healthy food options to food pantry clients.
Background:
Food banks seeking to rescue and redistribute highly nutritious perishable foods to simultaneously alleviate food insecurity and reduce food waste often encounter practical, ethical, and political dilemmas.
Objectives:
We present a case study of "Leket Israel," an Israeli food bank that uses an effective large-scale logistical model for the rescue and redistribution of perishable food and discuss the challenges and solutions it offers.
Results:
The organization operates in a rich country plagued with poverty and inequality, where the government passively encourages nongovernmental organizations to respond to the serious and growing problem of food insecurity. Operating under a business-to-business model, Leket Israel distributes food via intermediary nonprofit organizations (NPOs), enriching the food they provide with fresh produce. Food is obtained through an Agricultural Gleaning project, Self-Growing Farm project, and Meal Rescue project. The partnering NPOs then distribute the food to people in need. Although the rescue and redistribution of highly perishable food is more costly and complex than acquiring, storing, and distributing dried and staple foods and it requires specialized knowledge and infrastructure in order to maintain rigorous safety standards, it improves the nutritional quality of the aid. In 2015, Leket Israel distributed 15 217 389 kg of food, 90% of which was fruit and vegetables, to 180 partnering NPOs nationwide, reaching an estimated 175 000 recipients.
Conclusion:
"Leket Israel" offers a valuable model that can be studied and emulated by international nutrition scientists, practitioners, and policy makers who are seeking to reduce food insecurity and food waste in other countries.
Background:
Research assessing work processes in food pantries has been limited to the client's experience and aspects of food donations [3-5]. Research on food pantries has yet to focus on understanding and evaluating worker-environment interaction.
Objective:
The present case study examined the interaction between workers and their work environment while performing common tasks in a food pantry.
Methods:
Data were collected through naturalistic observations and structured interviews. A task analysis was performed on the data.
Results:
Several potential issues in the pantry were identified including with the workspace layout, environmental conditions, and signage. Human factors and ergonomics principles were then utilized to provide insights and recommendations (e.g., use of numbered rather than color-coded signage).
Conclusions:
Recommendations were provided to the case study food pantry for enhancing safety and productivity. Further research is needed to assess the generalizability of our findings to other food pantries.
Background:
In many affluent countries, food-insecure households use food pantries to keep their family fed. The long-term dependence of many users on these programs calls for a systematic review of studies on the nutritional quality of food provided by food pantries.
Objective:
The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize the current scientific evidence about the nutritional quality of food bags distributed by food pantries.
Methods:
A systematic literature search was conducted in the electronic databases PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and Psychology Behavioral Sciences Collection to identify cross-sectional, cohort, and intervention studies reporting baseline data conducted in high-income countries and published between 1980 and 2015, which reported the nutritional quality of food bags distributed by food pantries. Identified citations were screened in two stages and data were independently extracted by two authors using a predefined data sheet. The quality of included studies was evaluated using criteria of an adapted Ottawa Scale. The systematic review was reported in accordance to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.
Results:
Applying the two-stage screening, 9 of 1,546 articles were identified for inclusion. Nutritional quality of food bags varied widely between and within studies. Milk products, vitamins A and C, and calcium were provided in particularly low amounts. None of the studies were nationally representative and only a few studies controlled for the household composition of the recipients of food bags.
Conclusion:
Food pantries likely have a strong influence on users' diets, but the food pantries examined in the selected studies were largely unable to support healthy diets. The distribution of more perishable foods would increase users' diet quality and may have an immense potential to address malnutrition in vulnerable population groups.
Bacteriophages are potentially useful in controlling foodborne pathogens on minimally processed products since phage application is a non-destructive treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a newly isolated environmental bacteriophage against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli on fresh produce, and optimize the treatment with consideration for potential application. Seven anti E. coli O157:H7 EDL933 bacteriophages were isolated from various sources; the most promising was isolated from municipal wastewater. This isolate (designated as E. coli phage OSY-SP) was propagated with the host, in a growth medium, to a titer of 10⁸ PFU/ml. Before inoculation into fresh produce, E. coli phage OSY-SP was incubated with the host bacterium, spent medium was filter-sterilized, and the resulting crude lysate was used as a source of phage inocula for preliminary experiments. For optimized testing, phage in the crude lysate was purified by ultra-centrifugation and resuspension in phosphate-buffered saline. Efficacy of phage treatments was determined as a function of fresh produce type (cut green pepper or spinach leaves), treatment time (2 or 5 min rinsing), and temperature of holding treated produce (4 °C, 25°, or a combination of both temperatures). Cut green pepper was treated with UV light, to eliminate background microbiota, then spot-inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 EDL933 on cut edges, and the inoculum was allowed to dry. Because of its susceptibility to damage, baby spinach leaves were not subjected to a decontamination treatment. These leaves were inoculated with the green fluorescent protein-labeled E. coli O157:H7 B6–914 to facilitate inoculum enumeration in the presence of background microbiota. Phage suspension was applied to the inoculated fresh produce that was subsequently held for three days under variable storage conditions. The optimized phage treatment decreased the populations of pathogenic E. coli by 2.4–3.0 log CFU/g on cut green pepper (5-min rinse) and 3.4–3.5 log CFU/g on spinach leaves (2-min rinse), during 72 h storage. The majority of this decline was caused by the antimicrobial action of the phage. These findings suggest the utility of bacteriophage to selectively control pathogens on fresh produce.
Nutritional intakes of food bank recipients and consequently their health status largely rely on the availability and quality of donated food in provided food parcels. In this cross-sectional study, the nutritional quality of ninety-six individual food parcels was assessed and compared with the Dutch nutritional guidelines for a healthy diet. Furthermore, we assessed how food bank recipients use the contents of the food parcel. Therefore, 251 Dutch food bank recipients from eleven food banks throughout the Netherlands filled out a general questionnaire. The provided amounts of energy (19 849 (
sd
162 615) kJ (4744 (
sd
38 866) kcal)), protein (14·6 energy percentages (en%)) and SFA (12·9 en%) in a single-person food parcel for one single day were higher than the nutritional guidelines, whereas the provided amounts of fruits (97 (
sd
1441) g) and fish (23 (
sd
640) g) were lower. The number of days for which macronutrients, fruits, vegetables and fish were provided for a single-person food parcel ranged from 1·2 (fruits) to 11·3 (protein) d. Of the participants, only 9·5 % bought fruits and 4·6 % bought fish to supplement the food parcel, 39·4 % used all foods provided and 75·7 % were (very) satisfied with the contents of the food parcel. Our study shows that the nutritional content of food parcels provided by Dutch food banks is not in line with the nutritional guidelines. Improving the quality of the parcels is likely to positively impact the dietary intake of this vulnerable population subgroup.
In recent years, a wide range of organizations in developed countries have embarked on efforts to address the economic, environmental and social impacts of “food waste.” Based on more than 120 interviews and complementary observations in the United States and France, this paper examines how recent mobilizations impact the way surplus food is actually managed with respect to sustainable production and consumption. This analysis of multiple stakeholders’ interests and motives complements a growing literature on food waste prevention and management focused on technical evaluations of “solutions.” Recent frameworks on food surplus and waste establish one hierarchy of preferable categories of solutions: first, prevention (reducing surplus at the source), then recovery (reusing for human consumption) and finally recycling (feeding animals, creating energy or compost). Fieldwork results show that actors with different interests in food commodity chains actually develop competing solutions, both within and between three hierarchies based on environmental, social and economic goals. In the long term, the solutions they promote may therefore not achieve “win-win-win” benefits for all actors and at all scales. Drawing on a distinction between “weak” and “strong” sustainability, this paper argues that “strong” prevention based on holistic changes in the food system is the most sustainable solution to food surplus and waste. It suggests that academics focus on strong food surplus prevention, but also that advocates encourage government and corporate actors to differentiate between weak and strong actions to diffuse strong sustainability across organizations and countries.
One in six Americans (14.3 % of households) reported being food insecure at some time during the year 2013 (i.e., they lacked access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members). This translates to 17.5 million food insecure households and 49.1 million Americans, 33.3 million adults and 15.8 million children living in food insecure households (Coleman-Jensen et al. 2011, 2014). This slight decrease from 14.5 % in 2012 was not statistically significant and marks the third consecutive year that the USDA’s annual hunger survey has found food insecurity at some of the highest levels since the government started the report in 1995.
Food insecurity, the inability to access an adequate food supply, is often considered an issue confronting developing countries only. Yet, conservative estimates show that about 5 per cent of the Australian population are food insecure at any point in time. This paper uses newly released data from the 2004/05 ABS National Health Survey to examine the prevalence and correlates of the severity of food insecurity, and to uncover potential health and nutrition outcomes. Consistent with previous studies, results show that just over 5 per cent of Australians are food insecure due to financial constraints. Of this figure, about 40 per cent are considered to be 'severely' food insecure. That is, the person ran out of money to purchase food, and as a result went without food. A range of economic and socio-demographic factors were found to be associated with food insecurity, indicating differential access to food supply throughout the Australian population. Results also show significant differences in the self-reported measures of health, wellbeing and dietary behaviours of the severely insecure, moderately insecure and food secure Australians.