'Lost Food Project' to feed the hungry, prevent food wastage

Daily, 3,000 tonnes of edible foods in the country, especially fruits and vegetables are discarded because they neared expiry date.

However, they are still safe for consumption or for processing into edible food for the underprivileged, and this is the task undertaken by Briton Suzanne Mooney who founded 'The Lost Food Project' last February which has benefitted more than 10 charity organisations.

The project was triggered when she saw a shiny yellow banana at a supermarket, sliced and disposed when the fruit still looked good to be eaten, she told reporters after the launch of a partnership of the project with Jasons Food Hall here Friday.

Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Zara Salim launched the partnership at the Bangsar Shopping Centre.

"Most of the food from the supermarket is still good to eat, and the Lost Food Project will collect and deliver them to charities and non-governmental organisations in the city as fast as possible, in a move to offer nutritious

meals to the people they support, as well as saving on food cost," said Mooney.

The former British Broadcast Centre (BBC) journalist said a few of her friends in the United Kingdom were involved in the project, where the amount of edible food thrown away was much higher.

"That is, when I needed to do something to save the environment and reduce the food waste with a group of volunteers and set up this project to feed the hungry and prevent food wastage," she added.

Mooney said currently, Jasons Food Hall, a flagship under GCH Retail Sdn Bhd, was the first retailer in Malaysia to collaborate with them on committing to the donation of surplus food on a regular basis.

"We commenced the operations in February this year with a pilot programme with Jasons (Food Hall) by collecting the food twice per week to monitor food surplus fluctuation and discover the best systems to maximise the use of collected food.

"In just two months on a scaled-down level, 1,800kg of edible food was collected, which is the equivalent to 3,000 meals," she said.

Mooney said the initiative would allow them to feed more people who were at risk of loneliness, isolation and hunger, and urged other organisations to take part in the project.

Meanwhile, GCH Retail regional director for Malaysia and Brunei, Datuk Tim Ashdown said the partnership with 'The Lost Food Project' was an opportunity to make a real contribution to community and create positive change for the environment.

"Our corporate social responsibility is to support communities in the areas where we trade, focusing on less advantaged families and children."