The New Brunswick Association of Food Banks is expanding its partnership with Sobeys on a new retail food program, that will help provide to more people in need.
Sharing Director Ben MacMichael says new corporate guidelines that have to do with best before dates will allow them to cut down on the amount of food that is thrown out, “What we are doing is we are being strategic we have at Sobeys. In the regular meat section, you will see the dates that are on the packages. The day before, the meat comes to that date, they put it into the freezer. When it is frozen, it gives us another two to three months of good life yet. There was a lot of food we weren’t able to get before, but they are going to release as much food as possible from their stores.”
A pilot of the program was launched in three communities, including Moncton.
Since then, around 36,000 kilograms of new food donations have been received by Food Depot Alimentaire and that equates to more than 80,000 meals.
MacMichael says donations will include dry foods that have passed their best before date, fresh foods, and things like meats, seafood and dairy, that can be frozen.
Some health and beauty items will also now be donated.
