Topic 4.3: Distribution
Safe Food Distribution Pathway
Organizations that distribute surplus food
All Food Banks in the world base their activity on surplus food. You may read more about how Food Banks works in module 1
To improve the pick up of surplus food from the store, it is worth remembering a few rules:
We would like to remind you that surplus food is usualy collected with a short expiry date and may have damaged packaging. The following tips can limit the collection of food that cannot be further distributed.
Set the rules for collecting food – method of transport, exact date and time of collection (loading and downtime)
- Find out what products you collect, how they are packed, what is their quantity and weight, what is their best-before date and when you have to return the carrier on which the products were received
- You can sign a cooperation agreement with the store
How to evaluate the quality of received food?
When picking up food, check:
- Has the expiration date already passed?
- Whether the food is whole or clean
- Does it show signs of rotting or deterioration
- Whether there are pests or their remains in it
- Is it damp
- it smells like other products
When can food donation be refused?
- The food is not of good quality and is not suitable for distribution to those in need
- There is so much of it or such an assortment that you are not able to manage it in a short period of time
Prepared on the basis of the rules functioning in Polish Food Banks, the rules of other organizations may differ