Waste not: Wan (left) and two workers of Graze Market checking and weighing potatoes for consumers in need.
PETALING JAYA: As Malaysia grapples with the challenges of surplus food, a group of innovators has introduced new measures to address the issue, offering a sustainable solution to reduce waste and support vulnerable communities.
After witnessing surplus food being thrown away despite being safe to eat, the group launched a mobile app to address food wastage from supermarkets and retail chains.
One of Value Food’s co-founders, Hariharan Nagendran, said he personally witnessed food wastage during a visit to a mall.
“I saw piles of unsold food, still good but thrown away simply because they were not bought in time,” he said.
Hariharan said the Value Food mobile app was introduced as a marketplace that helps merchants, food outlets and supermarkets sell their surplus or excess food directly to consumers.
The app, he stressed, was introduced to reduce food waste while supporting government sustainability initiatives.
He said the app was inspired by successful food rescue platforms like Too Good To Go in the United Kingdom, in which they connected retailers with consumers to reduce surplus food in Malaysia.
“Our platform reduces food waste by enabling merchants to sell surplus food at discounted prices, providing consumers with affordable groceries.
“This creates a win-win-win situation where merchants generate extra revenue, consumers access cheaper quality food, and we promote sustainability by reducing waste and supporting underserved communities,” he said of the app, which was co-founded by Hariharan and his partners Taylor Ng, Datuk Sivaparanjothi and Nurul Suhaidi.
As the app only serves as an intermediary, Hariharan said the availability of items depends on the surplus stock listed by participating stores.
“While the range of items may not be diverse due to the nature of surplus food, the more stores that join our platform, the greater the variety of surplus food items available,” he added.
Through the platform, Hariharan said consumers can purchase these items and pick them up directly from the store or opt for delivery through e-hailing services.
On food safety, he said Value Food facilitates direct sales from stores to customers without involving third parties, minimising handling risks between parties.
“Merchants sell surplus food in value bags directly from their stores, ensuring it is fresh and properly managed.
“We also assist merchants by including labels and stickers indicating the use-by date on surplus items; this provides clear guidance to customers about freshness,” he added.
Hariharan also discouraged the act of distributing food to third parties, as this can lead to food security issues.
The Value Food application is now available for download for free on major mobile application stores.
Meanwhile, the founder of Graze Market, Clara Wan, highlighted the urgent need for policy changes and corporate support to tackle food waste and promote sustainability.
Wan said Graze Market works closely with farmers and distributors to ensure surplus produce is still suitable for consumption.
“We source our produce directly from farmers and distributors and conduct our own internal testing to ensure that they are suitable,” she said.
Graze Market’s efforts extend beyond food redistribution, with its food aid programmes providing essential supplies to needy families and welfare institutions.
“We also ensure our farmers are paid for their produce to reduce their economic loss,” she said.
However, Wan said the unpredictability of surplus food supply poses a major challenge.
“Our main issue is the short window before the food rots. Not knowing when we will receive surplus produce makes it difficult to plan distribution,” she said.
Wan also advocated for a review of supermarket standards, highlighting the discarding of edible food due to aesthetic considerations.
“A policy on reducing the level of acceptance standards by supermarkets is needed so that good food doesn’t go to waste just because of how it looks.
“We also need the support of corporations to make sustainable purchasing a priority in their operations,” she added.
