The initiative centres around a joint paper:  Food:  new technologies and techniques for reduction, recovery and recycling, which was presented in collaboration with FareShare at Total Food 2004 - a four day conference hosted, last month, at the Institute of Food Research.

The paper explores the extent of food wastage, examines initiatives in place and potential solutions.   Over a third of the UK’s waste originates from the food sector, totalling 17m tonnes with a retail value of between £8 and £16 billion a year.   Much of this surplus food could be reused within production or recycled into meals, reducing costs and associated environmental impact.

UK charity Fareshare works in partnership with over 150 companies and 250 local charities to improve the health and well being of over 12,000 homeless and vulnerable people each year.   Last year alone, it distributed 1,500 tonnes of quality food, which would normally go to landfill. This surplus food contributes to over 1.5 million meals for people in need. In conjunction with FareShare, Alpheus is committed to helping the food industry by improving awareness of the alternatives available to food being wasted.