Content
Food waste is a major issue today, and more and more solutions are emerging to allow consumers to recover unsold food from restaurants and nearby food businesses. Recovering these surplus prepared but uneaten meals is a concrete way to fight waste while saving money.
What is the recovery of unsold food?
Unsold food consists of meals, dishes, or fresh products that restaurants, bakeries, or food businesses have not been able to sell before the end of the day. Rather than throwing away these still edible foods, several initiatives encourage their sale at reduced prices or donations to associations. This benefits both the businesses, which limit their losses, and consumers looking for quality meals at a lower cost.
Main applications
| Country / Region | Key Apps Active | Notes / Particularities / Gaps |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Too Good To Go (in some cities), Flashfood, Food for All, others like Imperfect Foods/Misfits Market for “ugly produce” / surplus groceries. | Big potential due to size & food retail chains; but coverage is spotty. Some apps only in certain states/cities. Also logistic / regulatory issues (food safety, liability etc.). |
| Canada | Flashfood is strong; Too Good To Go also active in major cities. Olio has some presence. | Grocery-store chains are participating more (e.g. via Flashfood). Users report real savings. But rural/less dense areas less served. |
| United Kingdom | Too Good To Go, Olio, Karma. Others may be local or smaller scale. | Good awareness and participation. Many urban and suburban areas covered. Some users report variability in quality and predictability. |
| France | Too Good To Go, Phenix, Karma etc. | Strong presence; many retailers/restaurants participate. Well-organized. Basket models common. |
| Germany / Northern Europe | Too Good To Go, ResQ (in Nordic/Scandinavia), Karma etc. | Cultural acceptance quite good. Some regulatory clarity helps. But logistics & demand mismatch sometimes. |
| Spain / Southern Europe | Too Good To Go, Phenix etc | Urban centres have reasonable options. Outside cities, less so. Awareness growing. |
| Other European countries (Belgium, Netherlands, etc.) | Most of the apps above (Too Good To Go, Olio, Karma, Phenix) show up. | Similar pattern: good in cities, weaker in rural areas; contents of “surprise bags”/unpredictability is a common trade-off. |