Food waste – what’s the situation in the retail trade?

In the current discussion about wasting food it’s not only consumers and politicians who need to come up with an answer – the retail trade too has a big part to play. Shop operators have various means at their disposal – from price reductions shortly before the sell-by date, giving products to their employees or social institutions like Tafel (a charitable organization supplying food to the needy) to involving food disposal companies. Organic-Market.Info asked Bio Company, Basic AG, Superbiomarkt and other stores about this issue. It also approached young freegans (free vegans) – people who try to live their lives apart from the consumer society. (Picture: Employee in an organic supermarket reducing the price of goods)The press office of the chain Bio Company said they reduce the price of products to customers by 20 % or 50 % depending on their freshness and the sell-by date. They check the condition of fruit and vegetables every morning and sort milk, butter, cheese, sausage, etc. according to their sell-by dates for reducing prices. The price of bakery goods from the day before is also lower. (Picture: Bio Company in Berlin)

The company says that their sense of ecological, social and economic responsibility ensures that they deal very carefully with food. So that a minimum of food waste and rubbish is created, each store does its own ordering. The store manager decides what happens to products that can’t go on sale. In some stores they might phone the Tafel organization as and when required, in others Tafel drivers collect goods regularly. Another solution is for employees to take products home with them. Compared with the total volume of goods, only a tiny amount has to be finally disposed of. (Picture: Bio Company in Hamburg)

How does a Basic store in Bavaria deal with out-of-date food in practice? “Previously, expired goods and fresh food from the counter were fetched by a women’s refuge and Tafel,” said an elderly employee. But they didn’t come regularly or on Saturdays. Also, having to record all the donated items on a list took a lot of time and effort. “Far quicker to chuck it all away,” concluded the employee. She said that now everything is thrown away that can’t be sold during the week with a 30 % or 50 % discount. I think it’s terrible,” she said. “If we take something home with us, it’s regarded as theft.”

The press office of Basic AG made the following statement to Organic–Market. Info: “It varies according to the product line, but goods are offered at a reduced price before the sell-by date expires. However, if the sell-by date has expired we don’t give them to employees for reasons of legal liability and to avoid irregularities. Some stores work with Tafel and similar institutions, and we’re happy with this cooperation that operates smoothly and professionally.” They said planning was extremely important and they equipped their management staff with the know-how to order accordingly. They maintained that the volume of food written off was kept to a minimum. (Picture: Basic store in Munich)

The sales manager at the SuperBioMarkt store in Münster told Organic-Market.Info: “Products approaching their sell-by date are offered at a reduced price. Whether products are given to employees at no cost was for the management of each of the 16 stores to decide. He pointed out that some stores gave food to Tafel. Particularly in the case of bakery goods it was important to have enough products available for sale up to the evening. Sometimes the suppliers took back unsold items which were then passed on to farmers. The law prescribes which goods this applies to because this practice is not permitted in the case of foods containing ingredients of animal origin. He said they also used food disposal companies so that the food did not end up in the rubbish bin. (Picture: SuperBioMarkt Münster)

In Denn’s Biomarkt in Fulda too items are offered to customers at a reduced price. Otherwise, goods are fetched by Tafel. "We’re very happy with the punctual collections every day," says store manager Klaus Karl. He points out that this means they don’t have to dispose of any food in the normal rubbish. (Picture: Customer in the fruit and vegetable department in Denn's Biomarkt in Fulda)

"Food and products whose sell-by date is due to expire are sold at a 20 % reduction,” explains Martin Fuchs at the organic supermarket Tagwerk in Markt Schwaben. Goods of perfect quality whose sell-by date has expired are, with the approval of the food standards agency, processed in the bistro, taken home by the employees or given once a week to the local branch of Tafel. Fresh green produce that can’t be used in the bistro is left for customers to take free of charge as rabbit food. “We only throw away the little bit that really can’t be used at all,” says Martin Fuchs.

In Naturhaus und Biomarkt in Griesheim near Darmstadt (picture) they make sure that products end up in the rubbish in exceptional cases only, says the manager of the store Mrs Leifgen-Kolkmann. They order small batches, even though this sometimes means paying a higher price, and the employees are careful to see that the prices to the customers are reduced before the sell-by date. Sometimes there is no charge at all, or the products are taken home by staff or they are given away. Giving to social organizations has proved to be problematic, because sometimes they don’t want what the store can offer them.

"Freegans" have decided to live their lives as divorced from consumption as possible. This involves scavenging in the bins of food stores. A freegan in Augsburg known by this magazine told us that it is not easy getting into waste bins because many stores lock them or prevent access. His experience was that organic stores throw away far less than conventional stores. (Picture: Mrs Leifgen-Kolkmann in front of her store presenting special offers and products shortly before their expiry date)

Another freegan explained his viewpoint: “In my experience, companies – including organic shops – don’t deal openly with the issue of unsaleable products. But part of the reason is people’s attitude to food: they refuse to buy this or that product in a shop, even though in their own fridge they would keep them a long time before throwing them away.” In his opinion, even though organic agriculture is the better concept, organic stores contribute to a definition of food as a consumer good and status symbol. There has to be a contradiction between this attitude and the less than pristine outside leaves of a lettuce. (Picture: Food bought from an organic supermarket with a 50 % reduction and made into smoothies at home)