Commercial food rescue apps

Users can purchase leftover food at a reduced price via a commercial food rescue app. Depending on the concept, individual groceries from supermarkets and/or entire meals from restaurants can be sold. In contrast to the closely related concept of foodsharing, the providers of the apps receive a provision or get paid from the participating organizations.

Annually almost 5 million tonnes of avoidable food waste occur in wholesaling and retailing as well as large-scale consumers. Commercial food rescue apps want to counteract this food waste. On the one hand the idea is innovative to market overproduced meals or nearly exploited food products and the development of a business model. On the other hand the application of apps which allow consumers to find and buy leftover food nearby without much effort, is a technical novelty.

Users can purchase leftover food at a reduced price via a commercial food rescue app. Depending on the concept, individual groceries from supermarkets and/or entire meals from restaurants can be sold. The use of apps and the development of a business model is particularly innovative. After an initially broad expansion of the niche, the process is currently inhibited. The sustainability potential is given especially through the promotion of resource efficiency, food security and the access to healthy food products. However, the potential could be increased considerably through the integration of further sustainability goals which could also foster a higher attraction.