Food with damaged packaging or approaching the expiration date will be offered to those in need by the food bank of the Diaconia social mission with the support of a network of supermarkets in Moldova. The food will be taken over 5 times a week by the employees of the Food Bank.

"We welcome this initiative to give food a second life ", said Cristina Aramă, PR  manager of the store network. 

The products are distributed to about 20 beneficiaries.

"We make sure that the products are in good condition, valid. The car comes in the morning, we unload them, look over the requests of the organizations and distribute them ", mentioned Oleg Paraschiv, program coordinator of the Food Bank.

One of the beneficiaries is the "Papa Francisc" Social Canteen of the Regina Păcii Foundation, where approximately 150 low-income pensioners or people with disabilities receive a hot lunch every day.

The Ministry of Agriculture is working on a draft law on food waste and donation methods from stores. The document was also discussed with civil society representatives.

"We believe it is a very good bill that will boost waste prevention and recover products at risk of being thrown away," said Igor Belei, president of the social mission.

Last month, a recording of an employee in a Chisinau store throwing dozens of breads in the trash scandalized public opinion and led to the self-notification of the National Agency for Food Safety. Since the end of July, when the Food Bank was launched, four tons of food have been donated and about two thousand servings of food have been prepared.