Doug Rauch, the former president of Trader Joe’s who made millions of dollars marketing cheap but chic groceries across America, plans to sell meals prepared with food that is edible but has passed its sell-by date to low-income consumers in Boston.
Rauch said he knows the concept may at first sound unpalatable, maybe even objectionable, but he’s convinced that his Urban Food Initiative has merit. The idea is to take food “waste” — perishables at, near, or past their expiration date that supermarkets throw out daily — and turn it into healthy meals priced like a McDonald’s Big Mac. Rauch compares the nonprofit’s mission to the work of Goodwill, which resells donated clothing at affordable prices.
Comments
I wonder why recently--we have to hope recently--expired food isn't already being donated to food kitchens and shelters that already provide meals for those who can't afford to purchase on their own. In fact, I rather assumed this was happening already. I hope this isn't just another scheme by Trader Joe's (whose produce is often of inferior quality) to make more money.
This IS happening already. The department of education recently donated expired food to MA prisons and Chronicle on channel 5 highlighted a women who developed a company that would pick up unwanted food from local markets and donate it to food banks.
It's not a new idea, it's a business man running with an idea and an attempt to bring it to another level.
I think there is an age gap issue when it come to older food. I notice older people much more willing to purchase the older foods at markets at reduced prices. Possibly due to their experiences growing up in which foods where not presented the same as they are today and /or as accessable (during the war). Younger generations are spoiled in almost every way imaginable, and food is included. Not sure they'll succeed, but I wish them well and think it's a good idea with a limited market.
Most food pantries will not accept "expired" foods, even shelf-stable items like dried and canned goods. When I've asked about it, the explanation has been that they do not want to insult those who need food pantries to survive by offering them foods that are past their "best by dates," even though that does not mean that the food is expired, but rather, past it's peak of quality. I've been told "Well, if a store won't sell it, we won't give it to anyone."
Yet, at the same time, food pantries are hurting for actual food donations.....
Good for him. This idea is long overdue. And to questions this man's motives is really a cheap shot. He's a retired CEO and clearly doesn't need the money. What's more, Trader Joe's produce is no more inferior than Stop & Shop or Shaw's.
I love the idea! It's unconscionable that there is so much waste alongside of so much need and a great operation could also do jam making and canning of produce that is super ripe and usable down the road when stores are low. Another side benefit to this project could be a job training program that places older unemployed food service workers alongside of teens in the community to address the need for jobs and healthy intergenerational workplaces, where older workers model and cultivate skills like reliability and problem solving and younger workers bring vitality and life to the workplace. "Maybe I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one... "
I agree with martdec. reddaisy's cynicism may be born of dissapointment in 'the system' but it won't solve the real, present day problems that successful business leaders turned social justice pratitioners can address with their skills and resources.
In the Washinghton DC area, there are kitchens that serve the 'food insecure' from donations of still-wholesome food that would otherwise be wasted. Vanity or misplaced pride should not prevent somebody from getting a good, nutritious and affordable meal. I've never been too proud to buy day-old bread, or discounted 'about to go out of date' food. It's healthier than fast food.
Food For Free, out of Cambridge MA, has been collecting food that would otherwise go to waste and getting it into the emergency food system since 1981. In 2012, we delivered about 1 million pounds of food and we aim to ensure about 70% of that is fresh fruit and vegetables. We deliver to 85 programs throughout Cambridge, Somerville, and surrounding cities including food pantries, meals programs, shelters, youth programs, and more. Both Trader Joe's stores in Cambridge, as well as Whole Foods, Boston Organics, farmers, and many other great donors, give us hundreds of pounds of beautiful healthy food on a daily basis - food that is perfectly edible but, in many cases, past its sell by date.
Trader Joe's, and our other donors, are eager to put this food to use and are grateful for the services we provide. There are many other small organizations, like ours, doing similar work throughout the country. I hope folks in Dorchester come to see that this food is perfectly edible. We've picked up pounds and pounds of beautiful strawberries, kale, collards, lettuce, etc that I would take home and cook. The only issue is that it needs to be used or processed within a couple days.
This sounds like a great initiative and I hope it's successful. There is far too much food waste and on the flip-side, far too much need of access to healthy foods.
What exactly is this adding to the network of food donations that is already in place? Not only does this seemingly add transporation costs by deverting local donations to a centeral location, but adds rent, employees and other costs which are duplicated in existing networks. He needs to sell the concept better than suggesting that this food would have been put in a dumpster. There are countless avenues to get food to families in need. If he's saying that the exact location of this concept is underserved, then that can be fixed without painting a picture that low income folks badly need cooking lessons and would give pepsi to kids nstead of milk
What an interesting idea. He's basically positioning himself between food pantries and fast food/retail food. Not a glamorous place to be, but perhaps necessary. I think he has a lot of work to do in terms of marketing, to overcome resistance to the perception of selling "scraps," to seeing it as a food pantry that one has to pay for, as something further down on the food chain than a Big Mac. The hell with marketing it to food-insecure folks, market it to *everyone* to help remove the stigma. And make sure it tastes damn good and looks hipper than a charity warehouse.
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If this idea is another outlet and place to get more hungry people fed at a major discount, then all the best. There does exist several places which distribute or accept almost out of date food and feed the poor; that doesn't mean that adding this additional distribution point which will sell fully nutritional food at major discounts will be viewed as this idea being a feeble attempt to add profits to an existing corporation.
Good move, sir.
Food For Free in Cambridge does a grerat job of this already. Fff3636 says it pretty well. Much of that food goes to programs like the one I work for whose clients would not be able to afford even the discounted prices discussed in the article. Many would also not be able to travel to Dorchester to get it either. I'm not saying that it's not a great idea, but if it cuts into the resource pie that the poorest and homeless people rely on for sustenance, then maybe some program adjustments would make it work better for more people.
If it were combined with an expanded Food For Free type of initiative, it would serve more people better.
How many of us, poor or not, have eaten expired food that we bought before the expiration date and then discover some days later that it had "expired", eaten it and nothing happened to us as a result. And brown spots on a banana? I've eaten those also; if it's too brown, you can cut out the brown spots, make banana bread, or just saute it a little. For all this "expired" food, you do the smell and tiny taste test and go from there. And I'm not poor, just not into throwing out good food. I applaud this gentleman!
You are absolutely correct. Check the "sell by" date on a loaf of bread or package of English muffins. It's often just a few days after you buy it. The product is perfectly good for a week. I often by the "yesterday's bread" in the local supermarket because it is probably fresher than the factory produced stuff that comes in on a truck from a commercial bakery. The "expired" bread I buy was baked in the store yesterday.
As for meat and poultry, if stores can donate it at the end of the last "sell by" day and the food pantry puts it in the freezer it will be perfectly good when thawed and cooked. There is no need to throw it out.
Trader Joe's must deal with a tremendous amount of food "wasate" each day. Food is pulled from shelves a day before the expiration date. Most of it is donated to local food pantries. A pepper with a spot on it is still good (you just cut the spot out), but a customer will not buy it, so it gets "spoiled."
Granted, one would not want to eat meat or fish that has gone by, but there is lots of stuff that is still perfectly fine - sandwiches, salads, soups, cheese, veggies and grains - even desserts are donated.
Taking that food and serving it to people who are in need; doing something with it that is good and affordable, is to be commended.
It's too bad ALL stores don't donate things that a regular customer won't buy. There's not reason for anyone to go hungry when we have so much good surplus available.
Meats and fish can be frozen and be good for many many months
Many stores do donate food they deem out of date to local pantries, food kitchens, etc. I am a volunteer at the largest pantry in our town, and I can assure you we welcome donations from various commercial establishments that provide us with, for example, a station wagon full of just-off-the-shelves bread that is perfectly safe for consumption and greatly welcomed by our clients. As a pantry that also low-cost food (mostly non-perishables) from Greater Boston Food Bank, we have to be certified by them, which includes not provide food to clients that is unsafe in any way. Volunteers and clients alike are delighted, however, when our monthly GBFB order includes sacks of sweet potatoes, onions, cabbage, or beets that have been removed from super market shelves to make room for slightly fresher food. We examine all the new supplies for questionable items, discard any that are soft, discolored, or smell bad, and then offer them to clients. I assure you most clients repeat the careful selection process, but these healthy items all disappear within days - proving that our clients need and want foods, even though they have been removed from market shelves.
Nearly 30 years ago the Boston Food Bank had a program that worked with Legal Seafoods to turn food donations (small bits of meat/fish, produce from the Chelsea produce market, etc.) into nutritious meals for the hungry. As other comments have mentioned, there are many good organizations out there distributing these types of foods. It is important that we try and feed those in need but a one meal at a time approach doesn't address the root cause of hunger - poverty. But, if we're going to institutionalize hunger in America, let's at least try and make the crumbs nutritious. There was once a Massachusetts Anti-Hunger Coalition made up of practitioners who wanted to go further than their feeding programs. It is now defunct for a lack of funding.
We are not poor and we often eat foods that we've purchased a week or so ago that have since expired. The only exception is dairy products. I have a thing about expired dairy products even though they are probably fine in some cases.
First of all, sometimes milk and other dairy is sour BEFORE the expiration date, so to me dairy shouldn't be included. BUT, last year I volunteered one evening at the Boston FOOD BANK and was flabbergasted at what was thrown out. Little dents in cans, a corner of a cereal box crushed, candy which was within a month of expiration, etc. I don't need any of this, but I wanted to take it home and give it away myslef rather than throw it out and was told we couldn't do that. The food was abundant and far better than you'd expect. Also, what's wrong with all the FREE pantries? I'm not sure there's a market for this kind of place but I wish them luck in this endeavor.
Actually, dents in cans could be problematic--I've read that dents can make a can more prone to botulism toxin spreading in the food. Though the problem is mostly stemming from deep dents along the seams of a can, I still try to avoid buying a can that has any dents in it.
I think someone needs to think about better 'marketing'. Expired foods sounds so onerous, I grew up with problably 'all expired' food, didn't effect me but then it wasn't labeled either.
this morning for breakfast I ate some ( trader Joe's btw) Greek Yogurt that had a 1/25 sell by date on it and i'm still standing. there was nothing wrong with it whatsoever. back in my childhood if milk was about to go bad my mother would make pudding out of it. you couldn't tell the difference. and stale bread makes great bread pudding! one only has to visit the food markets of Asia where fish hang without refrigeration to see that we have gotten way out of hand with our paranoia about food safety.
I think this is a great idea and would welcome it in Dorchester. Our area needs help in many ways and this sounds like it would create more jobs and help many people both financially and physically. Bravo!
I'm more comfortable with keeping these choices about expired food in the sphere of personal choice. I understand no one is forced to go to this new place, but it still smells funny.
I don't doubt Mr. Rauch's sincerity, but if there could be a better way to display these goods in the existing supermarkets in all neighborhoods and towns, that would be my preference for using it, instead of driving all around to the tune of $300K to haul it away to poor people.
I also have to question how much of the food is just junk to begin with.
How does one volunteer to help?
Maybe I am in the minority here but I am concerned about this guy's preparing meals with expired food. It is one thing for me to decide to eat a loaf of bread or drink a glass of milk that is past its date and another to be served a sandwich or a muffin made with ingredients whose age I don't know. Will he take frozen food that is expired (imagine the shelf life there) and heat and serve? This food is going to be sold to people and there ought to be high standards about what is sold.
I think finding ways to bring healthy food into neighborhoods that don't have supermarkets is a good idea but building a restaurant business model around expired food is not. Why not open a supermarket and let the people decide whether they want to buy food at the prices offered and dates stamped.
Sounds like a great idea to repurpose still usable food for a worthy cause...but what's the expiration date on food that's already expired?