Too Good To Go, a surplus food marketplace, is launching in metropolitan Los Angeles, US, as wastefulness and the environmental deterioration that food surplus poses continue to pervade the food and beverage industry.

Angelinos are invited to save meals and groceries for a third of the retail cost using the free mobile app. Following successful debuts in 12 other major US cities, the LA launch is the latest.

The app links users with supermarkets, restaurants, bakeries, parlors and cafes. Users can explore, reserve and pay for a Surprise Bag on the app, then collect their “surprise” at the store during the pick-up time.

The contents of the bags range from ingredients like fresh vegetables or pantry items to ready-to-eat meals like pizza, ice cream or baked pastries, depending on the store that is chosen, always offered at a third of the retail value.

According to Innova Market Insights, 25% of US consumers agree and 20% strongly agree that they never consume a product if it is past the expiration date. This type of consumer behavior contributes greatly to the food waste crisis, which leads to unnecessary production and directly impacts carbon emissions.

The company asserts that buying a single Too Good To Go Surprise Bag is “equivalent to saving the carbon footprint from charging a cellphone 442 times.” 

Statistics show 870 million people go hungry every day yet food waste is valued at US$1 trillion a year globally.A social, economic and environmental crusade
Surprisingly, our world contains two realities: one wher 870 million people go hungry every day and yet one wher, in spite of this, food waste is valued at US$1 trillion a year globally. It has a US$285 billion economic impact on the US alone.

Rising prices in California, wher housing and food costs are among the highest in the country, are tearing at the fabric of daily life as US inflation reaches a four-decade high. 

This development comes at a time when food inflation also drives consumers to explore more financially sustainable alternatives. Consumers have been trimming their grocery budgets, and lower-paid employees are seeing their incomes whittled away at the gas pump. Meanwhile, businesses are cutting back significantly on operations.

Chris MacAulay, Too Good To Go US managing director, affirms: “In a reality wher food prices are a huge challenge for people, Too Good To Go offers a sustainable alternative to get food at accessible prices.”

It has the added benefit, he says, of “slowing global warming through the reduction of food waste, which accounts for 10% of all GHG emissions globally.” This figure highlights the importance of spreading awareness of the connection between food waste and climate change.

The company claims that reducing food waste is the quickest method to slow global warming. At the moment, 40% of all food produced in the US is wasted, having a significant negative impact on the environment.

Innova Market Insights shows that 25% of US consumers claim they never consume a product if it is past the expiration date, contributing greatly to the food waste crisis.

The food rescue ecosystem
Operators behind the Too Good To Go marketplace app aid its partners in contacting more users and finding new showcases for their products.

Some retail partners claimed the app helped stimulate a new stream of consumers. 

Raymond Martherus, director of marketing at Lassen’s Natural Foods & Vitamins remarks that “partnering with them has allowed us to save surplus food so it doesn’t end up as waste, while simultaneously driving new customers to our stores.”

These kinds of reduction methods have swept the industry as of late, with developments such as Kerry’s Food Waste Estimator which was recently launched. It is an interactive tool that links shelf life extension to food waste reduction potential.  

Supermarket chains including Waitrose and Marks & Spencer have been actively opting to ditch “best before” dates on their fresh produce – encouraging consumers to “sniff test” their food – in a bid to support food chain efficiency.

Additionally, Do Good Chicken, a brand that reduces food waste by turning it into feed for chickens, has reportedly saved 10 million lbs of food waste after being on shelves for six months.

By Mieke Meintjes