In this episode of Food Waste Matters, host Joanne dives into the inspiring journey of Maggie Quach, one of the creativeforces behind Beyond Best Before. This unique retail initiative tackles food waste by offering discounted, high-quality products that are near or past their“best before” date but still perfectly safe and delicious.

Key Highlights:

The Birth of Beyond Best Before: Maggie and her sister Katie launched Beyond Best Before in July 2023 as a pop-up shop, which quickly evolved into two permanent store locations inSydney and an online store delivering nationwide.

Innovative Business Model: The enterprise reduces food waste by rescuing surplus stock and products with minorpackaging imperfections, making premium brands accessible at lower costs.

Community Impact:Beyond Best Before collaborates with universities, non-profits like Head Space,and local organisations to raise awareness and support food waste reductioninitiatives.

Addressing Misconceptions:Maggie sheds light on widespread myths about “best before” dates and thequality of surplus food, demonstrating how food waste extends beyond individualhouseholds to systemic supply chain issues.

Future Goals: Beyond Best Before aims to expand partnerships with larger corporations, deepen community engagement, and launch more educational campaigns to combat food waste.

Maggie shares insights into their popular initiatives,including:

Meals in Minutes: Quickrecipes using rescued ingredients to inspire creativity in the kitchen.

Myth-Busting Sessions:Debunking common misconceptions about food safety and waste.

Waste-Less Wednesdays:Practical tips for reducing waste in everyday life.

This episode is a call to action for listeners to rethink their approach to food consumption and waste. Explore how innovative solutions like Beyond Best Before are reshaping perceptions, saving resources, and contributing to a sustainable future.

Discover practical ways to reduce food waste, save money and make a real difference.

In our first episode ofFood Waste Matters for 2025, we sit down with Mandy Hall, the driving force behindThe Great Unwaste, a national campaign helping Australians reduce food waste in their homes. Mandy shares practical tips, smart shopping strategies, and simple habits that not only save food from the bin but also save money

We also explore how food waste connects to bigger global challenges, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and why reducing waste isn’t just good for your wallet—it’s good for the planet.

Let’s turn food waste around—one meal at a time.

Reflecting on the past year, Dr. Steven Lapidge joins Jayne Gallagher to highlight significant accomplishments for End Food Waste Australia in the final episode for 2024. It has been a year brimming with achievements, and in this episode, you can hear a brief summary with highlights including:

• Release of targeted action plans for food service, catering, and horticulture sectors, with the Horticulture Sector Action Plan winning the AusVeg Environmental and Sustainability Award.

• The Third National Food Waste Summit was held in Melbourne, attended by over 300 industry leaders, and recognised for its success. The first-ever Food Waste Awards were announced, honoring standout organisations and research contributors.

• Participation in the ISO standards meeting in the UK and the ReFED conference in the U.S., reinforcing global commitments to food waste reduction.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode are listed below:

The Great Unwaste https://thegreatunwaste.com.au/

Rocket Seeder https://www.rocketseeder.com/

RDAMR https://rdamr.com.au/

Champions 12.3 https://champions123.org/

Food and Drink Business https://www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au/

This video is all about the National Food Waste Summit https://www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au/video/special-edition-from-the-national-food-waste-summit

Looking ahead to 2025, End Food Waste Australia is poised to deepen its impact by implementing its 2024-2030 strategic plan. Dr. Lapidge envisions greater engagement with Australian food industry stakeholders and a robust push for household food waste reduction through campaigns like The Great Unwaste, aiming for a 21% decrease in food waste at the consumer level.

Let the success of End Food Waste inspire you to take action in your own community and household. After all, this is a mission that requires ‘Team Australia’ and beyond Every action we take today keeps up the fight.

This podcast is brought to you by Honey & Fox, where their passion is food and the people who produce it. Honey & Fox specialise in getting you in front of the right people, in the right place, at the right time. Find out more at https://⁠www.honeyandfox.com.au.⁠

This podcast is supported by End Food Waste Australia who are leading impactful and research-informed food waste actions. To find out more about how they are working toward a more sustainable future please visit https://⁠www.endfoodwaste.com.au.⁠

Most consumers can't tell the difference between best before and use by and use them interchangeably.

On this episode of Food Waste Matters, Dr. Joanne Freeman sits down with Associate Professor Lukas Parker from RMIT to delve into the intricacies of food labelling and how clear instructions could help mitigate food waste. Lukas is based in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University, where he leads 3C, Communication and Change Co-lab. He is also a member of End Food Waste Australia, leading the National Date Labelling and Storage Advice Project. Specifically, his team worked with End Food Waste Australia to collect data from 125 consumer interviews which explored how consumers use (or do not use) existing food date labelling and storage advice to determine food freshness. Tune into this episode as Jo and Lukas discuss key findings and information including:

• Confusion about existing labels and how to deal with food freshness, reliability, and storage.

• How advice such as ‘store in a cool, dry place’ was interpreted as vague and unhelpful and less likely to be perceived as reliable or trustworthy for more humid climates.

• Differences in demographics when it comes to making decisions about food quality and waste.

• The usefulness of food dates in order to manage food at home and from a business perspective.

• Riskier food categories and the differences in discernment when assessing if food can still be consumed.

Date labels are not straightforward, and this episode touches on key points from consumers and researchers alike. To find out more about the national date labelling and storage advice (phase 1) please visit https://endfoodwaste.com.au/projects/national-date-labelling-and-storage-advice-phase-1/. Additional details about 3C (Communication and Change Co-lab) are also available at https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/schools-colleges/media-and-communication/research/communication-change-colab.

We also take this opportunity to thank Lukas Parker for his time. If you would like to reach out to Lukas he can be reached on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlukas/.

This podcast is brought to you by Honey & Fox, whose passion is food and the people who produce it. Honey & Fox works with fishers, farmers and small food businesses to help them find and sell to their perfect customers – people who will buy without questioning the price. Find out more at www.honeyandfox.com.au.

This podcast is supported by End Food Waste Australia, which is leading impactful and research-informed food waste actions. To learn more about how they are working toward a more sustainable future, please visit ⁠www.endfoodwaste.com.au⁠.

And this episode is also available on our YouTube channel at:

https://youtu.be/vUbDxoHe3a0

Australia. Fertile land and an abundance of agricultural products. So, what does this mean when it comes to food waste?

Regional businesses sustain the economy throughout Australia, particularly in the agricultural and food sectors. Despite their importance, these businesses often struggle with implementing sustainable practices, such as decreasing food waste, due to limited resources, lack of knowledge, and capacity constraints. This episode is all about the regions, as Linda Bonney joins Dr Joanne Freeman from Honey & Fox and Julie Bates from Regional Development Australia Murraylands Riverland (RDAMR). Both Jo and Julie are research participants for End Food Waste Australia, and for several months, they held detailed discussions and interacted with food businesses in the Murraylands and Riverland regional areas of South Australia. These companies, which varied from small-scale food manufacturers to family-run businesses, consistently expressed their eagerness to tackle food waste. However, many were uncertain about how to get started. In this episode, you can hear all about:

• An overview of the 'Cultivating the Capacity of Food Businesses to Reduce and Transform Food Waste - Phase 1' project and how it came about.

• How the research was collected and the most surprising findings regarding the training of regional food businesses.

• Future visions and long-term plans for the Food Waste Transformers Program.

• The next steps for this initiative and the plan to roll out the program nationally, with support from potential funders.

• Stories about how food waste strategies are being used both in the home and in the field.

Tackling the specific obstacles that small regional businesses encounter is fundamental to future food waste management and providing them with a tangible solution towards a more eco-friendly and robust future will only be of benefit for economies throughout Australia.

To find out about Murraylands & Riverland, you can visit their website at https://rdamr.com.au/ and to find out more about Cultivating the Capacity of Food Businesses to Reduce and Transform Food Waste – Phase One, please visit https://endfoodwaste.com.au/projects/cultivating-the-capacity-of-food-businesses-to-reduce-and-transform-food-waste-phase-one/

This podcast is brought to you by Honey & Fox, whose passion is food and the people who produce it. Honey & Fox works with fishers, farmers and small food businesses to help them find and sell to their perfect customers – people who will buy without questioning the price. Find out more at https://www.honeyandfox.com.au.

This podcast is supported by End Food Waste Australia, which is leading impactful and research-informed food waste actions. To learn more about how they are working toward a more sustainable future, please visit https://⁠www.endfoodwaste.com.au⁠.

Packaging design goes beyond aesthetics; it must also be functional, efficient, and aligned with broader environmental goals.

In this episode of Food Waste Matters, we welcome Helen Johnston from Honey & Fox who is chatting with Zaidee Jackson. Zaidee is the National Business Development Manager for Sustainable Packaging at Ball & Doggett and the driving force behind Ecoporium, the go-to destination for sustainable packaging. Not only do Helen and Zaidee share a mutual love for biltong, but they also have a passion for packaging. Listen in as the conversation unfolds to hear about:

• Complex challenges small businesses face in implementing truly sustainable packaging solutions that balance functionality, environmental impact, convenience, and cost.

• Fit-for-purpose and functionality of packaging that reduces a carbon footprint and promotes a circular economy.

• Design efficiency and using fewer materials which involves innovative thinking and re-engineering traditional packaging concepts.

• The role that consumers play by choosing products with sustainable packaging and supporting small businesses.

Sustainable packaging is not just about meeting the demands of today but also about safeguarding the future. By ensuring that packaging is functional, efficient, and environmentally aligned, we can make a significant impact in the fight against food waste.

We encourage you to follow Zaidee as she inspires and creates impactful experiences. Her links are listed below:

www.ballanddoggett.com.au

www.ecoporium.com.au

https://ecoporium.com.au/article/ecoporium12-practical-steps-to-your-sustainability-pathway/

https://ecoporium.com.au/ecoaudit/

https://ecoporium.com.au/product-index/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaideejackson/

https://www.instagram.com/ballanddoggett/

https://www.instagram.com/ecoporium.com.au/

This podcast is brought to you by Honey & Fox, whose passion is food and the people who produce it. Honey & Fox works with fishers, farmers and small food businesses to help them find and sell to their perfect customers – people who will buy without questioning the price. Find out more at www.honeyandfox.com.au.

This podcast is supported by End Food Waste Australia, which is leading impactful and research-informed food waste actions. To learn more about how they are working toward a more sustainable future, please visit ⁠www.endfoodwaste.com.au⁠.

How do you find the sweet spot for optimum packaging design and reduce food waste at the same time?

In today’s episode, Jayne Gallagher is in conversation with Nerida Kelton the Vice President Sustainability & Save Food, for the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) and the Executive Director for the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP). It’s no wonder that Nerida is a keen advocate for safe food packaging, bringing a wealth of experience, with 26 years in the industry under her belt.

Specifically, Jayne and Nerida talk about five key functional criteria categories for saving food packaging; these include:

1) Design to contain and protect food.

2) Design to preserve and extend shelf life.

3) Design to provide consumer convenience.

4) Design to communicate with consumers.

5) Design to balance food and packaging waste targets.

Within this conversation you can also hear about:

• The unintended consequences of food waste when reducing packaging as the primary goal. Packaging has a vital role in protecting, containing, preserving, and transporting food to households. Without it, this would not be possible.

• Preservation and extension of shelf life through transportation, distribution and innovative packaging.

• Safe food packaging design guidelines for businesses.

Nerida is extremely proud of the fact that the AIP now lead the way as one of the global packaging experts. Packaging's role in minimising food waste is an important part of improving and promoting global collaboration.

Resources of interest for our listeners include:

Save Food Packaging Criteria and Framework – Final Report

https://endfoodwaste.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2402_Final-Report-121-2024-for-publishing-website.pdf

Rethink Packaging Design: Use Less, Use Longer and Use Again - Article

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rethink-packaging-design-use-less-longer-again-nerida-kelton-maip/

AIP’s commitment to Fighting Food Waste and Food Loss

https://aipack.com.au/fight-food-waste/

Educational resources and training

https://aipack.com.au/education/aip-education-overview/

Joining the AIP

https://aipack.com.au/join-the-aip-link-to-membership-application-pdf/

This podcast is brought to you by Honey & Fox, whose passion is food and the people who produce it. Honey & Fox works with fishers, farmers and small food businesses to help them find and sell to their perfect customers – people who will buy without questioning the price. Find out more at https://www.honeyandfox.com.au.

This podcast is supported by End Food Waste Australia, which is leading impactful and research-informed food waste actions. To learn more about how they are working toward a more sustainable future, please visit https://⁠www.endfoodwaste.com.au⁠.