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Question for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

UIN HL15349, tabled on 25 April 2019

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to support schemes that aim to make use of fresh food as it reaches its best before date rather than have it destroyed.

Answered on

7 May 2019

The Government continues to work with key stakeholders across the food chain, including redistribution organisations, in exploring the barriers to increasing surplus food redistribution and developing solutions.

The Secretary of State announced in October 2018 a £15 million pilot fund for 2019/20 to support the further redistribution of surplus food and reduce food waste. We are looking to make announcements on the successful applicants to the first tranche of funding shortly and announce new opportunities for funding in the next few months.

The projects supported by the £500k fund announced in January 2018 are already bearing fruit, with His Church officially opening their new walk in freezer in March.

In November 2017, the Government with the Waste and Resources Action Programme and the Food Standards Agency published step by step best practice guidance on date labels to get the right information and advice put on packaging conveyed clearly and consistently to help consumers reduce waste and ensure food is safe and fit to eat.