France to force big supermarkets to give unsold food to charities | World news | The Guardian
This should be a standard in the USA.
This should be a standard in the USA.
France to force big supermarkets to give unsold food to charities
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It's a brilliant idea! I guess US don't have food banks like we have here in UK? They are depots for donated foods given for those in need. They have been around a few years now but have really taken off with the government's more stringent laws regarding claiming benefit. Sometimes the gap between making a claim and receiving it is a long wait. It is to the government's shame that there is a need for this in the first place.
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GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
That article is about France, not the United States. Some stores and food companies do this. The master gardener group of which I'm a member donates fresh vegetables we grow in our display garden.
Agreed....as you mentioned in your OP, i.e. that it needs to be a standard in the USA.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
The problem here in the U.S. is the lack of drivers to pick up the unsold food. We have a huge food bank in Boston. Stop and Shop, 7-11 stores, Market Basket, Shaw's, etc. as well as many other stores, big and small have a policy that all produce and fresh baked goods that is not sold today and not fit for tomorrow, goes to the HUGE food bank in Boston that supplies all the surrounding communities that have local food banks. And the Boston Food Bank does not have the funds to pay a full time driver or to buy or rent a truck on a daily basis to make the daily rounds.
How do I know this? My girlfriend started the food bank at my church just 1.5 blocks from my home. Unless it is Thanksgiving or Christmas time, volunteer work is not on everyone's mind.
The problem here in the U.S. is the lack of drivers to pick up the unsold food. We have a huge food bank in Boston. Stop and Shop, 7-11 stores, Market Basket, Shaw's, etc. as well as many other stores, big and small have a policy that all produce and fresh baked goods that is not sold today and not fit for tomorrow, goes to the HUGE food bank in Boston that supplies all the surrounding communities that have local food banks. And the Boston Food Bank does not have the funds to pay a full time driver or to buy or rent a truck on a daily basis to make the daily rounds.
How do I know this? My girlfriend started the food bank at my church just 1.5 blocks from my home. Unless it is Thanksgiving or Christmas time, volunteer work is not on everyone's mind.
That needs to be a paid position though... Even if the local grocery stores chip in some money to pay for a driver or two to the unsold food to the people that need it most.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
And the battle continues. Nobody wants to take responsibility for making sure the products get picked up and also delivered to the local food banks.
The Boston Food Bank is located in a HUGE warehouse. It had been abandoned and the city was going to pull the building down. They gave it to the food bank and they turned it into a marvel. Shelves and shelves of foods ready to go out the door. Those shelves go from the front of the building all the way to the back wall. But no driver to deliver it. They have a slew of volunteer workers at different times of day. But they do not volunteer to use their car or gas for delivery.
I will have to ask Marilyn how her food bank works. I know I don't have all the facts.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
There are a gazillion reasons why this won't happen here's....
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
I'm not sure about other places, but the few stores I shop, donate food to food shelves. So I'm not sure what you are taking about.
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Roll_Bones
Master Chef
I was in Pizza hut once with a few friends from work. We were sitting there talking when the lunch crowd had left.
There was lots of food being tossed into trash cans. From the "all you can eat" bars.
I asked them why they were throwing away the food. They told me it was against the law!
That they were not allowed nor where there any way to save it or to send it anywhere. Whole pizzas and salad items right into the trash.
There was lots of food being tossed into trash cans. From the "all you can eat" bars.
I asked them why they were throwing away the food. They told me it was against the law!
That they were not allowed nor where there any way to save it or to send it anywhere. Whole pizzas and salad items right into the trash.
Yes it is mindless bureaucracy. Thankfully there are people, called dumpsters, who take advantage of this practise and retrieve food relatively in tact from where it is disposed. I say power to them! I don't care if it is dubious, i.e. possibly illegal - what matters to me is that the food has not been wasted.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
The people are called "freegans" or dumpster divers because the comb dumpsters for usable food and/or other items.
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
One reason given by restaurants, etc, that they don't want to donate food is fear of being sued. However, that is a lazy reason. Why? Because there is a little federal law called "The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act" which pretty much bans legal action against suing anyone who donates food "in good faith". As long as a store, etc, isn't passing off spoiled food willfully, they cannot be sued. New law? Nah, it's been on the books since October, 1996. So it's not so much mindless bureaucracy as it is ignorant merchants.
Addie, Boston has had a very successful food rescue business that runs food from donors to the food banks. Lovin Spoonfuls has been around for a couple of years now. They have rescued over 2 1/2 MILLION tons of food that would have been tossed in that time. Amazing...
Addie, Boston has had a very successful food rescue business that runs food from donors to the food banks. Lovin Spoonfuls has been around for a couple of years now. They have rescued over 2 1/2 MILLION tons of food that would have been tossed in that time. Amazing...
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
Figures that there would be a CY...B provision. 
Danged lawyers.
Danged lawyers.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Got garlic is exactly right.
A federal law only applies to a suit that is brought in federal court.
Federal laws sometimes but not always preempt or supersede state laws. This one specifically says that it doesn't.
There are very many state and local laws that limit free food distribution.
So it's not a lazy excuse.
And it's not danged lawyers, it's Congress and Federalism.
A federal law only applies to a suit that is brought in federal court.
Federal laws sometimes but not always preempt or supersede state laws. This one specifically says that it doesn't.
There are very many state and local laws that limit free food distribution.
So it's not a lazy excuse.
And it's not danged lawyers, it's Congress and Federalism.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Jennyma is right. As a former legal secretary and the friend of a lawyer, lawyers are not always to blame. Sometimes it is the silly and senseless suits that people bring to court so that laws are passed to that it puts a stop to such a waste of the court's time and expense.
Roll_Bones
Master Chef
Jennyma is right. As a former legal secretary and the friend of a lawyer, lawyers are not always to blame. Sometimes it is the silly and senseless suits that people bring to court so that laws are passed to that it puts a stop to such a waste of the court's time and expense.
So true.
I hear people bemoaning lawyers and my retort is always "people hate lawyers until they need one".
Wait until the day comes, you need an attorney. You will be very grateful "Hopefully" you had one.
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