By Erin Kayata
As people stroll the aisles doing their shopping for a holiday meal, they might be tempted to grab a canned good or two for their local food drive or pantry.
But they may be better off grabbing something more fresh.
While this time of year might inspire people to give back, consider buying extra fresh products to give, says John Lowery, an assistant professor of supply chain and information management and health sciences at Northeastern University who has done research on food donations and waste.
“There is a push to recover healthier food products,” Lowery says. “It’s harder to recover these more perishable food products that are potentially healthier because of shelf life considerations over packaged or canned items that have a longer shelf life and can be transported and distributed more easily.”
How is food donated?
There are a variety of ways food is rescued and donated, Lowery explains. The main method is through food banks, which recover and repurpose food from retailers. These retailers often make the call on what products to give and usually have certain rules set in place for donations. For example, a grocery store might donate milk with only three days of shelf life left.
The limits on perishable items mean many donations end up being shelf-stable products as fresh food donations can only be used for a limited time. Instead, retailers and individual donors end up giving packaged foods that are sometimes ultra processed.
