Beginning this fall, the Capital Area Food Bank, based in Washington, will refuse donations from retailers that include candy, sugary soda or sheet cakes, says Civil Eats. It quotes the food bank’s chief executive, Nancy Roman, as saying, “We are providing food on a regular basis to a low-income community and we have a moral obligation that it be good food that’s not aggravating their (health) problems.”
Some 500,000 people receive food through the agency, the largest hunger-fighting organization in the area. One-fifth of them have diabetes or live with someone who does, said Civil Eats. The decision by the Capital Area Food Bank “is part of a larger national shift that acknowledges solving hunger isn’t always as simple as providing people with more calories,” it says.
Since 2013, the food bank has increased the percentage of food in its warehouse that is high in fiber and low in salt and sugar. At present, 82 percent of the “core foods,” such as meat, dairy, vegetables and grains, meet the standard.
“Roman says she’s been pleasantly surprised by the reaction from their retailer donors, who have been given early notice that the food bank will no longer accept candy, full-calorie soda, or cake as of September,” said Civil Eats. “Several of the 10 retail brands they work with (representing hundreds of stores) have already devoted staff time to ensuring unwanted goods don’t leave their doorstep.”