Flashfood by Meijer presents items near expiration date sold at lower prices

FOX 2 - In the FOX-E Report, Meijer is testing a new app that could cut down on food waste, and save you money.

It's all based around selling food that is still perfectly safe to eat, but nearing its expiration date. 

Up to 40 percent of edible food in America goes into the trash uneaten, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council... a big reason for this is because consumers often store food incorrectly or misunderstand what the food labels really mean.

Meijer is trying help cut that number down - specifically on in-store food waste. Meijer is testing an app, called Flashfood, at a handful of its metro Detroit supercenters that allows customers to purchase food nearing its best-buy date at a reduced price.

"This allows our customers to get a discounted deal on items that we have either overproduced or maybe they are short dated and we don't want to throw them away," said Matthew Craig, Meijer. "You are getting a very fresh but you are getting it at a discount. And it helps us from having to throw items into landfills and reduces food waste in our stores."

So customers can download the app, point, click, purchase and pick up their fresh food items at one of four locations - Brighton, Waterford, Commerce and Howell Meijer stores.

"It will show you the item, what the price was, and what the discount is," Craig said. "You can select them and then the customer can come in and select it out of the cooler." 

Over the last month since the launch the reviews have been extremely positive.

Meijer also partners with food banks across the Midwest on its food rescue program that donated more than 10.6 million pounds of food in 2018.

"We have provided about 12.7 million meals," Craig said. "It is just another way we are trying to improve and enrich the communities we serve - and reduced food waste."

Meijer says they will learn as much as they can from these four locations before they expand.