IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jfpoli/v123y2024ics0306919223001872.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evidence for initiating food safety policy: An assessment of the quality and safety of donated food at an Australian food bank

Author

Listed:
  • Mossenson, Sharonna
  • Giglia, Roslyn
  • Pulker, Claire E.
  • Chester, Miranda
  • McStay, Catrina
  • Pollard, Christina M

Abstract

Food banks play a vital role in addressing the needs of people experiencing food insecurity. Food banks rely on the food industry, particularly supermarkets, for food donations, and on voluntary labor to scrutinize and sort donations for quality and safety. Currently, national food safety laws and policies in Australia regulate food businesses, but do not specifically apply to donations. There are reports of expired, spoiled, and rotten food donations and clients express dissatisfaction with the quality and safety of food provided. This study describes a novel approach to visually identify and assess the safety and quality of food donations at an Australian food bank. Data from an audit of donations to a metropolitan food bank were analyzed. Food safety assessment criterion were developed based on food safety standards and applied to 1217 items (84,996 kg) of donated food. Each product was visually inspected and assessed as ‘safe’, ‘unsuitable’, ‘potentially unsafe’, or ‘unsafe for human consumption’ upon receival. Of the 84,996 kg of donated food, 96 % was categorized as satisfactory and 4 % (3761 kg) was categorized as either unsafe (2024 kg), potentially unsafe (1313 kg) or unsuitable (424 kg) for consumption. Supermarket donations comprised 90 % (by weight) of the unsafe and unsuitable food. The overall proportion of visually unsafe and unsuitable foods was low, but consumption of any unsafe, hazardous and/or damaged products poses a risk to the consumer. Given the vulnerability of clients receiving this food, the public health risk is high. The management of potential risk is problematic too as multiple decisions to determine appropriateness for distribution, places demands on food banks and hampers efficiency. The findings underscore the clear need for a specific food safety regulatory framework for donated food in Australia.

Suggested Citation

  • Mossenson, Sharonna & Giglia, Roslyn & Pulker, Claire E. & Chester, Miranda & McStay, Catrina & Pollard, Christina M, 2024. "Evidence for initiating food safety policy: An assessment of the quality and safety of donated food at an Australian food bank," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:123:y:2024:i:c:s0306919223001872
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2023.102589
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919223001872
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.foodpol.2023.102589?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christina M. Pollard & Bruce Mackintosh & Cathy Campbell & Deborah Kerr & Andrea Begley & Jonine Jancey & Martin Caraher & Joel Berg & Sue Booth, 2018. "Charitable Food Systems’ Capacity to Address Food Insecurity: An Australian Capital City Audit," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-17, June.
    2. Stephen Davey & Carol Richards, 2013. "Supermarkets and private standards: unintended consequences of the audit ritual," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 30(2), pages 271-281, June.
    3. Jennifer J. Quinlan, 2013. "Foodborne Illness Incidence Rates and Food Safety Risks for Populations of Low Socioeconomic Status and Minority Race/Ethnicity: A Review of the Literature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-19, August.
    4. Papargyropoulou, Effie & Fearnyough, Kate & Spring, Charlotte & Antal, Lucy, 2022. "The future of surplus food redistribution in the UK: Reimagining a ‘win-win’ scenario," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    5. Laura Leete & Neil Bania, 2010. "The effect of income shocks on food insufficiency," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 8(4), pages 505-526, December.
    6. Bree Devin & Carol Richards, 2018. "Food Waste, Power, and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Australian Food Supply Chain," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 199-210, June.
    7. Byrne, Anne T. & Just, David R., 2022. "Review: Private food assistance in high income countries: A guide for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    8. Sue Kleve & Sue Booth & Zoe E. Davidson & Claire Palermo, 2018. "Walking the Food Security Tightrope—Exploring the Experiences of Low-to-Middle Income Melbourne Households," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-19, October.
    9. Tarasuk, Valerie & Eakin, Joan M., 2003. "Charitable food assistance as symbolic gesture: an ethnographic study of food banks in Ontario," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(7), pages 1505-1515, April.
    10. Joel Berg & Angelica Gibson, 2022. "Why the World Should Not Follow the Failed United States Model of Fighting Domestic Hunger," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-14, January.
    11. Martin Caraher & Sinéad Furey, 2018. "The Economics of Emergency Food Aid Provision," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-319-78506-6, April.
    12. Rachel Loopstra & Valerie Tarasuk, 2012. "The Relationship between Food Banks and Household Food Insecurity among Low-Income Toronto Families," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 38(4), pages 497-514, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sue Booth & Christina Pollard & John Coveney & Ian Goodwin-Smith, 2018. "‘Sustainable’ Rather Than ‘Subsistence’ Food Assistance Solutions to Food Insecurity: South Australian Recipients’ Perspectives on Traditional and Social Enterprise Models," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Christina M Pollard & Sue Booth, 2019. "Food Insecurity and Hunger in Rich Countries—It Is Time for Action against Inequality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-13, May.
    3. Matteo Vittuari & Fabio De Menna & Silvia Gaiani & Luca Falasconi & Alessandro Politano & Jana Dietershagen & Andrea Segrè, 2017. "The Second Life of Food: An Assessment of the Social Impact of Food Redistribution Activities in Emilia Romagna, Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-14, October.
    4. Tahna L. Pettman & Carmel Williams & Sue Booth & Deborah Wildgoose & Christina M. Pollard & John Coveney & Julie-Anne McWhinnie & Marian McAllister & Carolyn Dent & Rory Spreckley & Jonathan D. Buckle, 2022. "A Food Relief Charter for South Australia—Towards a Shared Vision for Pathways Out of Food Insecurity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-16, June.
    5. Christina Mary Pollard & Sue Booth, 2019. "Addressing Food and Nutrition Security in Developed Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-5, July.
    6. Byrne, Anne T. & Just, David R., 2022. "Review: Private food assistance in high income countries: A guide for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    7. Flora Douglas & Fiona MacKenzie & Ourega-Zoé Ejebu & Stephen Whybrow & Ada L. Garcia & Lynda McKenzie & Anne Ludbrook & Elizabeth Dowler, 2018. "“ A Lot of People Are Struggling Privately. They Don’t Know Where to Go or They’re Not Sure of What to Do ”: Frontline Service Provider Perspectives of the Nature of Household Food Insecurity in Scotl," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-22, December.
    8. Christina M. Pollard & Sue Booth & Jonine Jancey & Bruce Mackintosh & Claire E. Pulker & Janine L. Wright & Andrea Begley & Sabrah Imtiaz & Claire Silic & S. Aqif Mukhtar & Martin Caraher & Joel Berg , 2019. "Long-Term Food Insecurity, Hunger and Risky Food Acquisition Practices: A Cross-Sectional Study of Food Charity Recipients in an Australian Capital City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-16, August.
    9. Holmes, Eleanor & Black, Jennifer L. & Heckelman, Amber & Lear, Scott A. & Seto, Darlene & Fowokan, Adeleke & Wittman, Hannah, 2018. "“Nothing is going to change three months from now”: A mixed methods characterization of food bank use in Greater Vancouver," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 129-136.
    10. Garthwaite, K.A. & Collins, P.J. & Bambra, C., 2015. "Food for thought: An ethnographic study of negotiating ill health and food insecurity in a UK foodbank," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 38-44.
    11. Swann, Christopher A., 2017. "Household history, SNAP participation, and food insecurity," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 1-9.
    12. Benita Y. Tam & Leanne Findlay & Dafna Kohen, 2014. "Social Networks as a Coping Strategy for Food Insecurity and Hunger for Young Aboriginal and Canadian Children," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-14, September.
    13. Valerie Tarasuk & Joan Eakin, 2005. "Food assistance through “surplus” food: Insights from an ethnographic study of food bank work," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 22(2), pages 177-186, June.
    14. Ourega-Zoé Ejebu & Stephen Whybrow & Lynda Mckenzie & Elizabeth Dowler & Ada L Garcia & Anne Ludbrook & Karen Louise Barton & Wendy Louise Wrieden & Flora Douglas, 2018. "What can Secondary Data Tell Us about Household Food Insecurity in a High-Income Country Context?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-17, December.
    15. Dharmasena, Senarath & Bessler, David A. & Capps, Oral, 2016. "Food environment in the United States as a complex economic system," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 163-175.
    16. Maria Petrescu & Anjala S. Krishen, 2020. "The importance of high-quality data and analytics during the pandemic," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(2), pages 43-44, June.
    17. Lynn McIntyre & Danielle Tougas & Krista Rondeau & Catherine L. Mah, 2016. "“In”-sights about food banks from a critical interpretive synthesis of the academic literature," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 33(4), pages 843-859, December.
    18. Garrone, Paola & Melacini, Marco & Perego, Alessandro, 2014. "Opening the black box of food waste reduction," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 129-139.
    19. Holmes, Madilyn & Dharmasena, Senarath, 2016. "Dynamics Of Macroeconomic Shocks On Food Assistace Programs In The United States," 2016 Annual Meeting, February 6-9, 2016, San Antonio, Texas 229953, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    20. Bree Devin & Carol Richards, 2018. "Food Waste, Power, and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Australian Food Supply Chain," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 199-210, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:123:y:2024:i:c:s0306919223001872. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/foodpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.