AN EXPERT has issued a warning for shoppers keen on food waste apps that offer out-of-date grub.
The nutritionist was speaking after The Sun exclusively looked into the app that promises cheap food from top fast food chains.
Clinical nutritionist Dr Rimas Geiga said he had worries about apps like TooGoodToGo and the affects they may have on customers who snap up their food cheap.
He told The Sun: “My primary food safety concerns with these apps revolve around the potential for foodborne illnesses.”
It comes after a Northern Irish mum spent £4 on a Too Good To Go bag from her local supermarket – and was shocked to find the cut-price fruit and veg in such a bad state.
Mum Carly Guthrie, from Castlereigh received two cut-open grapefruits, a melon covered in white mould, bashed-up fizzy pears and the end of a knob of a cucumber.
Dr Rimas Geiga said: “When food is prepared and left unsold, its quality and safety can diminish over time.
“Critical factors such as temperature control, proper storage, and the duration the food has been left unsold play significant roles.
“If these parameters are not strictly monitored, there is a heightened risk of bacterial growth, which can lead to food poisoning.
“Ensuring that the food has been stored correctly and is consumed within a safe time frame is essential.”
One helpful bit of advice he gave consumers was to not be afraid to scrutinise your parcel, even though you got it for cheap.
He explained: “Upon receiving the food, consumers should inspect it for any signs of spoilage, such as off smells, discolouration, or unusual textures.”
A spokesperson from Too Good To Go told The Sun: “This isn’t the experience we want for our users while they try to save food from going to waste, which is why we issued refunds immediately on both occasions.
“Feedback was also shared with partner stores around food safety policies to prevent this from happening again.
“While these situations are of course disappointing, and we take them seriously, they represent a very small percentage of bags that we help our users to save every day.”
The Denmark-founded app stressed: “Over 40% of food produced is wasted globally, and in the UK alone, Too Good To Go has helped save over 40 million Surprise Bags and works with more than 43,000 partner stores.
“Given the size of the food waste issue, we want our users to have a positive experience every time they decide to help the planet by using the Too Good To Go app.
“To achieve that, we take food safety and quality seriously and are committed to improving our service.”
This comes after M&S urgently recalled some of its chocolate treats last week over fears a dangerous labelling error could leave some people seriously ill.
The major supermarket has pulled its own chocolate cornflake mini bites after discovering that some tubs contain nuts and gluten that are not mentioned on the packaging.
The mistake means the picnic treat could pose a severe health risk to anyone with nut allergies, coeliac disease, or an allergy or intolerance to oats, wheat or gluten.
The affected boxes come in packs of 180g, have the barcode number 00347884 and a best before date of August 6.
In a swift response to the blunder, M&S is urging customers who have purchased the bites to return them immediately for a full refund.
The company apologised to customers and issued a point-of-sale notice to explain the situation and provide guidance on what to do next.
It says any products purchased on the app should be eaten “immediately after pick-up, and/or as instructed by the product label or the store.”
The app says shops and restaurants can cancel orders up to two hours before the pick-up time – so keep an eye on notifications before setting out.
Cancellations after that usually trigger a refund if you use the complaint link on the app.
Customers can also cancel orders up to two hours before the beginning of the agreed pick-up- or later if it’s due to ingredients, allergens or other labelling issues – but have to do so via the complaint link on the app.
The nature of leftovers mean it’s almost impossible to work with dietary requirements – but there’s a “Vegetarian” and “Vegan” filter in the app, under ‘Browse’ option.
