Real Junk Food Project: Crowdfunder smashes target to pay investigation costs

A crowdfunding appeal has smashed its target to pay £400 costs for an investigation into a project which serves food destined for landfill.

Back in April West Yorkshire Trading Standards (WYTSS) said it found more than 400 items past their use-by date at the Real Junk Food Project’s (RJFP) warehouse in Pudsey.

WYTSS claimed 444 items, which were a cumulative total of 6,345 days past the use-by dates, were discovered at the charity’s premises on the Grangefield Industrial Estate. They gave RJFP a formal caution and charged it £400 for the costs of the investigation.

Project founder Adam Smith launched a fundraiser to pay off the £400, calling the fine ‘harsh’.

The online appeal raised £1,000 – much more than the £400 target – in just two weeks.

Mr Smith said via the appeal page:

“Thousands of people reached out to us, offering their support towards our campaign against global food waste. We’re now reaching out for that support, and would kindly like help paying these unnecessary costs against us.

“Now the case is resolved, we look forward to continuing empowering young people to REALLY feed the world, and working with our partners and suppliers to divert as much food as possible.”

Mr Smith said TRJFP has agreed to work closely with WYTS to implement procedures such as:

• Staff and volunteer induction
• Safe food handling policy
• A clear allocation of anaerobic digestion bins
• Highlighting intercepted food past use-by and reporting back to head offices of the respective retailer to ensure this discontinues
• No food on, or past use by date to be placed into the public domain

The Real Junk Food Project‘s warehouse on the Grangefield Industrial Estate is stocked with surplus food from supermarkets and local businesses. People are encouraged to  “pay what they feel” for the goods by giving time, money or skills.

The project’s first pay as you feel café opened at Armley Junktion Cafe. The project now has 127 cafes in seven different countries.