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Hospitality businesses across Europe are constantly looking at minimising their amount of food waste/losses
through different procedures, mainly for cost management reasons. Nevertheless, it is sometimes impossible to
completely eradicate surplus of edible food. In such cases, hospitality businesses can engage in food donations
through a partnership with food banks and similar charitable organisations.
These recommendations have been prepared jointly by HOTREC and the European Federation of Food Banks
(FEBA) with the aim to help hospitality establishments possibly engage in donations.
1. Have a responsible person.
A responsible person (i.e. the owner/ manager or another designated employee) should be in charge of food
donations. This will avoid mismanagement of food surplus, and therefore prevent avoidable losses.
2. Select a reliable partner for donations
To engage in food donations, a hospitality establishment must select a reliable charitable organisation, which
will then offer meals for free (or at very low cost). The hospitality establishment may require the assistance of
the local food bank to select an adequate partner.
Generally, hospitality businesses only have small quantities of food which can be safely donated. Moreover,
frequencies of donations cannot always be assured. These challenges should be discussed with potential
partners for donations.
3. Conclude a formal partnership with your partner organisation
It is advised to conclude a formal partnership with your partner organisation (even for ad-hoc/irregular
donations). The agreement should describe tasks and responsibilities of the donor (i.e. preparation and
maintenance until the point of takeover) and of the recipient (proper shipping and storing and ensuring proper
conditions of transport, serving/delivery to the final recipients).
HOTREC-FEBA RECOMMENDATIONS
TO MANAGE FOOD DONATIONS:
KEY DO’S AND DON’TS
Key aspects to be discussed with your potential partner for donations:
•
What type and quantity of food can they handle (e.g. can they collect small quantities? Do they
have refrigerated storage facilities?)
•
What is the environment they can provide for redistributing food? Do they have a kitchen facility
where they serve or portion package food or they only deliver food as packaged? If served do
they have proper infrastructure for reheating and serving, eating?
•
What is their responsiveness capacity?
•
Do they have the capacity to take care of the hygiene and safety aspects?
•
Do they collect themselves? Or shall the food be brought to them? Or do they use reliable
intermediaries for the collection?
•
Who is taking care of the different equipment and packaging (and costs associated to them) of
the donation process
Key tips!
•
Liability is a crucial aspect: the agreement shall make clear that once you have transferred the
food to your partner organisation (or to their intermediary for the collection), they take over the
liability in terms of health and safety.
•
When concluding the partnership, arrange a pilot before agreeing the final process.
European hospitality industry guidelines to reduce food waste and recommendations to manage food donations
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