Food Waste

While shrink are always a concern, some expert projections about the percentage of waste conflict with the reality of working in the produce aisle, says columnist Armand Lobato.

As part of a series on food waste, The Packer sat down with Jeff Yorzyk, senior director of sustainability for HelloFresh North America, to discuss the company’s strategies to reduce food waste and its milestone achievement of donating 10 million meals through the Meals with Meaning program.

A new Columbia Business School study, “From People to Produce: How Appearance Bias Fuels Food Waste,” reveals how consumer preference for cosmetically perfect fruits and vegetables contributes to billions of pounds of food waste — meanwhile, companies like Misfits Market are working to change perceptions and reduce waste.

Denali is transforming grocery retail food waste by making recycling simple, repurposing unsold produce into animal feed, fertilizer and fuel, and creating circular solutions that return value back to stores and communities.

Dana Gunders, president of ReFED, explains the aspects that are driving efforts to cut food waste in half by 2030 while ensuring produce surplus reaches food-insecure communities.

With billions of pounds of food wasted in U.S. grocery stores each year, apps like Too Good To Go, Flashfood and Careit — alongside retail partners — are harnessing technology to curb waste and recover value.