In the world of grocery shopping, we all love a crisp apple, a perfectly ripe avocado or a vibrant bunch of carrots. But what happens to the produce that doesn’t get picked up by shoppers? The truth is much of it isn’t eaten — until the game-changing process of retail rescue.

At Feeding America, we’ve turned the challenge of surplus produce into an opportunity to fight food insecurity by giving perfectly good food a second chance. The Feeding America network is the largest hunger relief and food rescue organization in the United States. By working closely with retailers, we ensure that fresh and nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables are on the plates of families nationwide experiencing food insecurity.

Why Retail Rescue Matters
Today, retail is the largest source of donated food for the Feeding America network. In 2024, the Feeding America network sourced 2.3 billion pounds of donations through retail recovery, and we see tremendous potential to source hundreds of millions more. Of those 2.3 billion pounds, 630 million were fresh produce.

Retail rescue is the final stage within the supply chain to recover unsold items before they end up in the trash or the compost bin. Food rescued, like produce, is still perfectly safe to eat but may no longer meet retail store standards. Maybe a bag of oranges has a blemish, or a Bell pepper is oddly shaped. While shoppers might pass them up, these foods are still nutritious, delicious, and safe to eat — and that’s where Feeding America steps in.

How retail rescue works
Feeding America’s retail store donation program helps us turn excess into access, so everyone has the opportunity to get the nutritious food Feeding America’s nationwide network of over 200 partner food banks and over 60,000 faith-based and charitable partners — including food pantries and meal programs — operationalize every day. Additionally, retailers play an important role in streamlining the food rescue operation. By educating store staff, setting donations aside for food banks and food pantries, and ensuring food-safety standards, retailers make this system work in tens of thousands of locations every day.

Here’s how it works:

1. Retail stores cull unsold produce that is still good to eat but unlikely to be purchased.

2. Trained food bank or agency staff pick up these items directly from the store, often daily or multiple times a week.

3. Food is inspected, transported in a food-safe environment, sorted and distributed to food banks, pantries and meal programs serving our neighbors facing hunger.

4. Families receive fresh, nutritious food, improving access to healthy meals.

This just-in-time recovery model means food gets to people quickly, sometimes the same day, ensuring freshness and quality.

Big impact, big numbers
In 2024 alone, the Feeding America network rescued over 4 billion pounds of food, with a significant portion coming from grocery retailers. Our partners play a crucial role in food rescue, with retail donations as our largest food source. We collaborate with key national partners from across the food industry, retailers, manufacturers and farms. Together, we are not just rescuing food, we are also changing the way communities access it. That’s billions of pounds of produce, protein, milk and dairy products — foods people facing hunger have told us they want.

These efforts show how a simple shift in thinking — viewing surplus food as an asset — can change lives.

More than just a donation, a win for everyone
Retail rescue is a win-win for everyone involved:

• For retailers: A free service that reduces waste and disposal costs, supports sustainability goals, and strengthens community ties while utilizing the trusted network standards of food-safety that are required of Feeding America and its network members.
• For food banks and agency partners: Regular donations create a steady supply of fresh, nutritious food.
• For families: Access to fresh produce improves health and food security, making balanced meals more achievable.

And let’s be honest, helping fight hunger while ensuring a perfectly good bunch of bananas increases access to healthy food for a family? That’s a pretty sweet deal.

How you can help
Retail rescue is a team effort, and there are ways everyone can get involved:

• Retailers: If you own or manage a grocery store, consider joining the Food Rescue Challenge to turn excess into access. If you are already donating, check your compost and waste bins to ensure excess product is not being wasted.
• Volunteers: Many food banks need help sorting, picking up, or distributing rescued food — your time can make a difference.
• Consumers: Support stores that donate their surplus food. Let them know it is important to you and thank them for their community support. You can also get involved and volunteer with your local food pantry or food bank.

The future of retail rescue
As Feeding America continues to expand and refine retail rescue efforts, the potential for impact grows. With stronger logistics, technology and partnerships, we can rescue even more food, feed more families and create a more viable food system. To meet the growing need, we’ve set an ambitious goal to rescue an additional 1 billion pounds of food annually by teaming up with even more food and fund partners. Everyone can play a part in our mission to end hunger. Rescuing food is one of the best things to do for our planet and ensures everyone has access to the food they need to thrive. Your support is vital to this mission. Join the Food Rescue Challenge and help us turn excess into access.