FairPrice saves extra 48,000kg of food through waste reduction programme

Supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice's food waste reduction efforts led to an extra 48,000kg of food saved between 2015 and last year. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - Supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice's food waste reduction efforts led to an extra 48,000kg of food saved between 2015 and last year.

Its food waste index - which measures total food waste generated over total retail space - stood at 6.9kg/sqm in 2015, but dropped to 6.3kg/sqm last year. In 2014, when efforts to reduce food waste first started, this figure was 11.6kg/sqm.

"Food waste reduction remains a key priority in our commitment towards our sustainability efforts," said Mr Seah Kian Peng, who is chief executive of NTUC FairPrice.

"As we commemorate Earth Day this weekend, these latest results, which show a further reduction of food waste, will continue to encourage all of us to persevere in doing our part."

Fruit and vegetables contribute to about 60 per cent of food waste. To counter this, the supermarket slices blemishes away from such foods, cuts them into smaller pieces and sells them at markdowns.

It also donates unsold canned food, which is otherwise in good condition, to non-profit organisation Food From the Heart on a regular basis. More than $290,000 worth of products were donated to charity under this initiative.

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