Supermarket Recovery Program

The Supermarket Recovery Program (SRP) is the first of its kind in Canada, offering a unique and sustainable solution to the problems of food waste and food insecurity through collaboration with food retailers.

The operational model — designed to meet the requirements of retail banners while ensuring consumer protection — was developed by Moisson Montréal through a two-year pilot project. The Food Banks of Quebec (BAQ) network is now coordinating the rollout of the SRP with other Moisson organizations across Quebec.

For the past six years, Moisson Outaouais has been operating the Supermarket Recovery Program (SRP), through which it recovers more than 36,000 kg of highly nutritious perishable food every month from over 28 grocery stores across the region.

A wide range of products is recovered through the SRP, but one of the program’s greatest strengths lies in the recovery of unsold but still consumable meat. Meat is a particularly valuable product for food assistance organizations, as it is rare, expensive, and highly nutritious. Since receiving meat from Moisson Outaouais, many organizations have seen a significant reduction in their food purchasing budgets, allowing them to dedicate more of their resources to promoting food autonomy among the people they serve.

In 2020–2021, thanks to the SRP, 443,767 kg of perishable food in the Outaouais region were redirected from waste bins to the food assistance network.

The SRP creates a true win–win situation, eliminating supermarket food waste by recovering edible products and redistributing them to families in need.