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ConsumerWatch: Ex-Trader Joe's Exec Plans Store Selling Exclusively 'Expired' Foods

(KPIX 5) - Former Trader Joe's President, Doug Rauch, is planning to open a hybrid grocery store and restaurant exclusively selling expired foods in the greater Boston Area.

Rauch's new store, called The Daily Table, is scheduled to open in Dorchester, Ma. early next year. The Daily Table is intended as a low-price option for what Rauch describes as "underserved" American citizens.

When asked by NPR whether he would be competing with his former company, Rauch responded, "There aren't Trader Joe's in the inner-cities in America, at least not to my knowledge."

Rauch's inspiration for this unusual business model comes from the enormous quantities of food wasted annually both internationally and domestically. One-third of food globally is discarded while in the U.S., consumers waste 40 percent of their purchased food.

Some grocers send expired food to either food banks or homeless shelters. Yet, despite these efforts, U.S. grocers waste anywhere from $10 billion-$15 billion in food sent to the landfill each year.

"This is about trying to tackle a very large social challenge we have that is going to create a healthcare tsunami in cost if we don't do something about it," Rauch told NPR.

However, The Daily Table is not the only business with a mind towards reducing food waste. A UK website, Approved Foods, sells expired food online - boasting up to 70% in customer savings.

While the prospect of eating expired food may sound dangerous, the expiration dates on food labels are to denote quality rather than safety. The USDA encourages companies to put expiration dates on their product however only baby food formula is required to do so.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

 

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