What does FoodMaven do?
FoodMaven is an innovative online marketplace and rapid logistics company bringing agility and flexibility to the U.S. food system. We provide high-quality local and oversupplied food – lost food – at about half price to restaurants and institutional kitchens.
What is “lost” food?
Oversupplied, imperfects, and local food
- Oversupply is a way producers deliver enough to make sure that distributors have everything in stock.
- Imperfects are perfectly good food that fall short of cosmetic requirements, are short-dated, have minor labeling issues, etc.
- Local food is locally produced and doesn’t have easy market access to restaurants and institutional kitchens.
What does the expiration date label on food mean?
The federal government does not require dating on food product (except for baby food). The dating is provided to help consumers and retailers know when the food is at its best quality. If stored and handled properly, the product should be safe to eat and wholesome long after the date recommended.
Can I donate my food, even after the “best by” date has passed?
Yes. Look for signs of spoilage, and if the product is not exhibiting any of that, it’s still wholesome. Food banks and charitable donation centers should evaluate the product prior to distribution and consumption.
What does FoodMaven do with unsold food?
Unsold food is donated to hunger relief organizations, and we also operate on a zero-landfill policy. To tackle the 40% of food being thrown into landfills, we find uses for our unused local, imperfect, and oversupplied food.
How does FoodMaven do food donations?
We can help 501©3 non-profits. In addition to inbound requests for donations, we also reach out to non-profits that have a large community impact. By donating 25% of our rescued food, we have seen an increase in the total amount of donations going to hunger relief efforts. We’re committed to providing as much fresh food as we can each week.
What food do you donate?
Some of our top donated food is fresh produce, dairy and meat. These are the much needed foods that hunger-relief organizations often don't receive.
What do the donation recipients have to do?
We do not require any form of payment from our non-profit partners, and there isn’t a fee involved to receive our supply. All we ask is that you pick up your donation from our warehouse at a time that’s convenient for you.
How long have you been in business?
We started in Colorado Springs in 2015, and launched our Denver services in July of 2017.
This is a food-waste solution that should spread across the country!
We agree! We started in Colorado Springs, have opened services in Denver, and will be extending even farther—which we plan to do in 2018.
Does food waste contribute to global warming?
When in landfills, food waste produces a significant amount of methane (a more dominant greenhouse gas than even CO2). Surplus amounts of greenhouse gases cause radiation and the earth’s atmosphere to heat up, causing global warming and climate change.
How does FoodMaven work to fix this issue?
FoodMaven offers a solution, connecting food suppliers and buyers, preventing oversupply, imperfects, and local food from being added to the landfills.
How big, really, is this food-waste problem?
In America, we throw away billions of pounds of food, which is more than enough to feed the hungry. That ugly part of the US food system is what FoodMaven is trying to transform.
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