{"id":1824,"date":"2026-01-16T09:20:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T09:20:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thesaferfoodgroup.com\/knowledge\/?p=1824"},"modified":"2026-01-27T08:38:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T08:38:34","slug":"too-good-to-waste-how-to-use-sustainable-food-services-safely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesaferfoodgroup.com\/knowledge\/too-good-to-waste-how-to-use-sustainable-food-services-safely\/","title":{"rendered":"Too Good to Waste? How to use sustainable food services safely"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is no dispute that services that offer food close to the end of its life are brilliant. They can be a great way of feeding your family on a budget, reducing the cost risk of trying a new takeaway, or a way to get you out of your food comfort zone by trying new foods and recipes.<\/p>\n

But do they also increase the risk of illness caused by unsafe food? We look at the key things you need to know when you use a sustainable food service.<\/p>\n

What is a sustainable food service?<\/h2>\n

Over the last ten years, a number of commercial and not-for-profit food services have emerged. Whilst they all operate slightly differently, they all have one central aim - to reduce the amount of food that goes into landfill. Some of these services take surplus food and distribute without charge within their communities. Others connect retailers with consumers, and offer leftover food at reduced prices.<\/p>\n

Nationally, Too Good To Go<\/a> is probably the most well recognised commercial operator in this arena. Their service is run via their slick app - selection and payments are made through the app, the customer just has to turn up at the store at the correct time to collect their order. The contents of orders are generally a surprise, as they depend on surplus stock available at the retailer, but customers can use ratings of previous users to gauge the potential 'value' of their bag.<\/p>\n

Olio<\/a> also runs via an app, but is a free service. Food is donated by supermarkets and other retailers and distributed via volunteers and community hubs, and also offered by individuals. Again, the availability of food is random, as it depends on surplus, but this service can often make a significant difference to families on low incomes.<\/p>\n

Community fridges are generally services used within a local area that sell surplus stock at very reduced prices - again, a great service for low income customers, who can often select the items that are most useful to them. These are typically run by voluntary organisations, CICs and churches.<\/p>\n

Can sustainable food services sell unsafe food?<\/h2>\n

Sustainable food services, and retailers who sell their goods through these services, are bound by the same food safety rules as any food business in the UK. Therefore they must stick to the following rules:<\/p>\n