A study of a whopping 85,000 kilograms of food donated to Foodbank WA has prompted calls for an overhaul of laws and policies to ensure safe and nutritious food is available for its vulnerable clients.
Despite more food being distributed via food banks in Australia, the nutritional quality of donated food is unreported, and the Curtin University study analysed all food donated to Foodbank WA over a 5-day period using diet, food and nutrient-based nutrition classification schemes.
A total of 42% (27% of total weight) of donated food products were deemed ‘unsuitable’ and only 19% (23% by weight) were considered ‘suitable’ according to all NCSs, with no agreement on 39% of products.
The findings confirm the poor nutritional quality of food donated to food banks and the need to work with donors to improve the food they donate.
Overall, food insecurity among US families with older adults increased from 12.5% in 1999 to 2003 to 23.1% in 2015-2019. Rates of recurring food insecurity more than doubled (5.6% to 12.6%), whereas rates of chronic food insecurity more than tripled (2.0% to 6.3%).
Food insecurity is a critical social determinant of health for older adults. In 2021, food insecurity affected 5.5 million older adults (ages 60 years and older) in the US; by 2050, that estimate is projected to grow to more than 7 million older adults.
Lead author, PhD student Sharonna Mossenson, from the Curtin School of Population Health, said that fit-for-purpose nutrition guidelines were urgently needed for Australian food banks to support them in providing nutritious food to their vulnerable clients.
“The Australian food relief sector plays a vital role in helping people experiencing severe food insecurity and given the health vulnerabilities of people accessing their services, these types of donations pose a health risk,” Ms Mossenson said.
“Nutritionally poor sweet and savoury snacks were the main types of foods donated, and nutritious foods were the least commonly donated, with only 6% of donated products being dairy foods, 8% being meat and 13% being fruit and vegetables.”
Supermarkets were responsible for 82% of all sweet and savoury snacks donated and 90% of soft drinks, while the type of food they donated least was fruit and vegetables.
“Supermarkets donated the most food overall, half of which was in small mixed loads from local supermarkets, which is a process that needs closer attention as most of the unsafe food (93%) was in these mixed loads,” Ms Mossenson said.
“While Foodbank WA has extensive processes in place to dispose of unsafe foods, the time it takes for staff and volunteers to unpack and check each donated item is substantial.
“Introducing explicit regulations requiring food donors to eliminate inappropriate foods before they are donated could free up Foodbank WA staff time so they can focus more on their clients.
“A food safety regulatory framework and fit-for-purpose nutrition guidelines for donated food in Australia are needed to ensure safe and healthy food is donated.”
Foodbank WA chief executive officer Kate O’Hara said the organisation relied on donations of surplus food across the food supply chain including from growers, manufacturers and retailers and the unknown nature of donations created challenges.
“We work closely with all our food donors including supermarkets to ensure quality nutritious food for Western Australians doing it tough,” Ms O’Hara said.
“Since this study in 2022, Foodbank WA continues to monitor its food donations and is taking a proactive approach to sourcing safe and nutritious food such as breads, breakfast cereals, tinned fruit and vegetables, dairy products, and meat to support our clients to achieve a balanced diet.
“There are always improvements to be made across the entire food relief sector, particularly to ensure donations are made within a safe timeframe and appropriate refrigerated transportation and storage is utilised.”