What Does Kroger Do With Its Unsold Food? - Tasting Table

Grocery stores often cannot sell all perishable items before spoilage, leading to food waste in dumpsters and landfills. Kroger uses a donation approach through its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, a nonprofit that diverts surplus food to local hunger relief agencies in communities where stores operate. The program began in 2017 and has donated billions of meals and hundreds of millions of pounds of surplus fresh food, aiming to feed communities and reduce food waste. Kroger also collaborates with organizations including Farmlink Project, WWF, No Kid Hungry, and Feeding America. Customers can donate directly to the fund online or at checkout, and the foundation has directed over $70 million to hunger and food-waste charities. In some regions, Kroger partners with Flashfood to offer discounted purchases of items that might otherwise be discarded.

"Kroger is one of a handful of U.S. grocery chains that regularly donates its unsold food. Its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is a nonprofit public charity with the goal of diverting surplus food to local hunger relief agencies in each community in which it operates its stores. The endeavor, which was instituted in 2017, is responsible for donating 3.9 billion meals and 815 million pounds of surplus fresh food during that time. The foundation's goals are to feed communities and reduce food waste."

"Kroger also collaborates with the Farmlink Project, WWF, No Kid Hungry, and Feeding America to support each other's missions. Customers can also donate directly to the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste fund, either via its website or at the register while checking out. The Foundation has directed over $70 million to national and local food charities as well as organizations dedicated to ending hunger and food waste. This includes nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and other activists who are looking for solutions for improving food insecurity in their communities and creating a more equitable food system nationwide."

"One way to save money on groceries at Kroger is to use the Flashfood app. In 2025, the two companies announced a regional rollout of Flashfood storage units in 16 Richmond, Virginia Kroger stores. Produce, baked goods, meat, and dairy items that might otherwise be sent to a landfill were instead available for customers to purchase at a discount through the Flashfood smartphone app."

Read at Tasting Table