Jonathan Wilhoite Blog: A Danish Supermarket Only Sells Expired Foods

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

A Danish Supermarket Only Sells Expired Foods

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Imagine how people would freak out to know about their local grocer selling expired food. Well, not necessarily spoiled food, but those nearing expiration.

This is how one quick-thinking entrepreneur used this concept in an effort to minimize, better, yet, eliminate wanton food wastage.

As the success of advertising, marketing and commercialism shows in the behaviour of man to grab from a grocery shelf anything that catches his fancy but actually does not need. What likely happens is that since these are not basic essentials, only gets thrown in the garbage after it gets past its ‘best before’ date.

Per Bjerre of DanChurchAid- a global movement aiming to end world hunger and poverty and the main propagator of the project- said that they opened the doors of WeFood, which is the first grocery store in Denmark to sell near-expiration food and those about to get past their shelf life- also called surplus food.

WeFood is initiated by DanChurch Aid and launched last February in Denmark.

Bjerre pointed out that these are not spoiled food, but are edible food and unless it is given due attention, might end up in the trash bins.

Most of the customers that trooped to the store mostly belonged to the low-income groups and the intention of WeFood and DanChurchAid is not for profit and all their staff are volunteers.

Bjerre further said that the food and demand is out there, it is a matter of logistics where the food needs to reach those that need it- in this case- the low income groups.

WeFood is following in the heels of France, after it recently passed legislation banning supermarkets from throwing or disposing food as garbage, and requires them to donate unsold food to charities and shelters.

Food wastage is starting to become a global problem and the global statistics are alarming. There are a total of 1.6 billion tons of food wasted, with 1.3 billion tons are considered edible.

It also has a direct impact to the environment because wastage is relative to production as well – the demand increases as food is consumed or thrown away.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations or FAO estimates that the demand for food production as a result, produces 3.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide as greenhouse gases that get released to the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and climate change.

An estimated 1.4 billion hectares of land is needed for the production of food equivalent to the amount of food wasted.

So don’t be surprised the next time you see your grocer selling expired food- he just might be an advocate for change.

Image Credit: Denmark’s New Grocer Is Selling Expired Food, And It’s A Hit – NPR News

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from NUTRITION CLUB CANADA http://nutritionclub.ca/grocer-selling-expired-food/amp/