Central-kitchen food donations to limit food waste

Making donations is therefore very much a part of the DNA of the Group’s central kitchens. In France, two thirds of the Elior and Ansamble central kitchens make food donations to local and national associations on a regular basis. Between October 2019 and August 2020, more than 30 tons of food products were redistributed to people in need. 

The Group redistributes these food surpluses to different associations depending on the location of the central kitchen in question. These associations include Food Banks, Les Restos du cœur, Excellents Surpluses, the Red Cross, Le Chainon Manquant, as well as solidarity grocery stores, etc. In May 2019, Elior notably forged a partnership at the national level with the French Federation of Food Banks enabling it to redistribute its surplus food stuffs throughout the country. As such, Elior’s 9,700 restaurants in France and 64 central kitchens are able to redistribute their unsold products to associations which support people in precarious situations. The Group has also been a partner of the Federation of Food Banks in Italy since 2004, and in Spain since 2019.

Encouraging central kitchens to join in in this process is a way to promote mutual aid at the local level while strengthening measures to fight against food waste.