ROCHESTER, N.Y. — An app called “Too Good To Go” is aiming to reduce food waste in the Rochester area. The platform connects customers looking for a deal with businesses that have surplus food.

Sarah Krull, a Rochester resident, recently used the app to purchase two grab bags from Whole Foods. For $20, she received items like mashed potatoes, a salmon dinner, and burritos.

“Honestly, the food we got was wonderful. We had some last night. We purchased it a couple of days ago. It was still perfectly good the cranberry sauce still had texture to it because it still had some cranberry pieces,” Krull said. “I’m a disabled person and so having prepared food that is a fraction of the cost that that food would be could be really helpful for me, on days that I can’t get up and make myself dinner.”

Too Good To Go originated in Denmark and allows businesses to list surplus food on the app for a fee. Customers can then buy this food at a significantly reduced price. The app ensures that food nearing its best-by date, but still safe to consume, is not wasted. The app doesn’t sell food past its expiration date.

Sarah Soteroff, PR Manager for Too Good To Go, spoke about the service.

“All the food that’s sold on our app still has to be perfectly safe to consume. It still has to follow all of the same guidelines that it would have if it were sold at full price. The reason it’s on our app is because it just didn’t sell at full price,” Soteroff said.

Currently, the app is in its soft launch phase in Rochester, with only two partners: Whole Foods and a local restaurant called Nautical Bowls. However, a spokesperson mentioned plans for a formal launch later this year, which will include more restaurants and grocery stores in the area.

Too Good To Go charges businesses a subscription fee and takes $1.79 from each bag sold. The app benefits everyone involved: food stays out of landfills, customers get affordable meals, and businesses recoup some losses. The app is already popular in cities worldwide and has thousands of partners in New York City.

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