A third of the food we produce is thrown away. An app is trying to change that by connecting US consumers to extra food at a bargain price

A customer orders a sandwich at Paulette's Public Market in Chicago. The sandwich and salad shop partners with the app Too Good to Go, which connects customers to businesses with food nearing its expiration date and sells it at a reduced price, with the goal of reducing food waste. — Chicago Tribune/TNS

CHICAGO: At the end of a given day, restaurants, markets and other food stores often have leftover food that is still perfectly good, but can no longer be sold the next day. That food often gets thrown away, contributing to increasing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. And nearly 700 million people around the world still go to bed hungry every night.

Too Good to Go, a tech-for-good app that launched in 2016 and has recently expanded to Chicago is fighting food waste by connecting users to surplus food from local businesses. Users pay a fee of US$4-US$6 (RM17-RM25) and receive a “Surprise Bag”, filled with food worth three times more than they paid.