Press release – Food banks forced to dispose of businesses’ food waste, as new research exposes the stark reality of food redistribution in the UK

New research released today [25 March, 2025] shows the burden of damaged, out of date or nutritionally inadequate food is being unacceptably passed on by supermarkets and retailers to food aid organisations to deal with – and, often, dispose of.

The new data – based on the experiences of food aid workers in the UK – found 91% have had to discard donated food, with the most common reason the food was damaged or inedible. While 85% reported feeling frustrated, angry or sad when they received donated food items that they can’t use or redistribute.

The research from food experts at environmental charity Feedback Global comes with clear recommendations for tackling the significant problems with the UK’s food distribution model, including a whistleblowing mechanism for workers to report when bad quality food is repeatedly passed onto them and mandatory reporting of food waste for large and medium businesses.

Link to the report: Used by: How businesses dump their waste on food charities or www.feedbackglobal.org/used-by

This comes at a time when food aid usage is at a record high with more than 3million people in the UK accessing food aid organisations last year – a huge increase from the 26,000 people who did so in 2008/09. While food bank workers and volunteers go above and beyond every day to try to get decent food to people in need.

But today’s new report – Used By: How businesses dump their waste of food charities – exposes that food redistribution isn’t the answer to either food waste or food poverty. The food experts say businesses must take responsibility for the time and cost of disposing of their own food waste – rather than passing it on to volunteers and community organisations.

The experience of dealing with businesses’ food waste led 98% of food aid workers to say government needs to do more to prevent food waste arising in the first place. While 84% said it was essential larger businesses should be legally required to report their food waste and 71% said government should introduce legally binding targets to reduce food being wasted.

The food aid workers also reported bizarre items being donated that are hard to incorporate into meals or didn’t provide nutritional value. This includes six turkeys frozen together, brandy-flavoured cream in the summer, 10kg of crème fraiche, tiny miso sachets and new experimental flavours of mayonnaise. While one worker said they spent £375 on carpet cleaning after a donation of rotten bananas.

Smaller organisations felt the burden of managing businesses’ food waste most acutely. For example, the majority of food aid organisations which had to throw away 10 per cent or more of donated food items were smaller ones lacking in the resources to quickly process and store donations.

The charity behind the research says the redistribution model fails to take account of the burdens placed on food aid organisations. It’s calling for mandatory reporting of food waste for large and medium businesses throughout the supply chain, national targets to halve food waste by 2030 and a levy retailers must pay in relation to the food wasted in their supply chain. It also endorses the establishment of a real living wage, universal free schools meals and the removal of the five-week wait for Universal Credit.

The new report – Used By: How businesses dump their waste on food charities – is being launched today in the House of Commons.

Jessica Sinclair Taylor, Deputy Director at Feedback Global, said: “The redistribution of food is quite clearly not the answer to tackling either food waste or food poverty in the UK. Our research shows that – despite the heroic efforts of food aid employees – food donated by businesses is often damaged, expired, nutritionally inadequate and ends up never being eaten. We need to stop kidding ourselves that food poverty can be solved by food waste and vice-versa, and start addressing the root causes of both to the benefit of people and planet.”

Sheila Dillon, food journalist and presenter, said: “This report sheds light on the lived experience of food aid workers, revealing the frustration, anger and exhaustion of those working at the sharp end of our food system. Their voices make one thing clear: we need systemic change. Businesses must be held accountable for their waste, policymakers must ensure fair wages and social protections, and we must move beyond the short-term fix of redistribution to build a food system that works for everyone.”

Quotes from food aid organisation workers:

“I think it is wrong that supermarkets can record zero waste when actually we, as a food bank, are having to dispose of their waste.”

“Veg comes to us mouldy and we have to sort/clean before we start.”

“We are lucky in that we have facilities to deal with bigger packs for portioning and cooking.”

“I’m cross that the supermarket has not already checked this [food] – leaving it to us to dispose of it.”