WATTISHAM COMMUNITY FRIDGE?

Wattisham Community Fridge is a fridge freezer and cupboard shelves located at the Community Centre with an amazing aim to reduce food waste and support a sustainable food culture, this is an easy way to take part in solving the global food waste issue.

This Community fridge is not run by a food bank. This means it is accessible to everyone regardless of age, income, gender, race or rank. Anybody can bring food to the community fridge which will also have social benefits like bringing our military and wider community together.

We believe the best way to support our military community is to use it. There is no shame or guilt in accessing donated food. Often people do not access free food because they feel they do not qualify, or they need permission.

We hope the Community Fridge can help reduce this stigma and encourage our wonderful community to partake.

In terms of Wattisham Community fridge opening times, that will happen when the Community Centre is open and the volunteers are available during the week. Times are posted on the Community Centre door.

Please bear in mind the Community Fridge may not always “stock” everything as depends on what our community has to offer, meaning the food will vary.

In the future, we hope the Community Fridge could offer workshops, recipe swaps, school uniforms, other clothing, etc. Please share any ideas with us we would love to hear from you.

What You Need To Know

You use the fridge at your own risk – Our amazing volunteers cannot guarantee that always the food in this fridge is good to consume, they will try check daily after be donated.

What You Need To Do

• See what tickles your fancy in the fridge.

• Check that the food is good to consume.

• Make my own judgement as to whether the food is safe to eat by checking that the food is still within the ‘use by’ date where applicable (food past its ‘best before’ date may still be OK)

• Smelling and looking at the food before eating it (although this is not a guarantee for the safety of the food)

• Not use food that is past its “use by” date, even if it smells and looks good.

• If I have any food allergies or intolerances, check the labels for allergens.

• Seek medical advice immediately if I feel unwell after eating an item from the fridge. Please inform the volunteers on the ‘Wattisham Community Fridge’ Facebook group or the Welfare Team.

• Not use the food for profit or personal gain

WANT TO DROP OFF GOOD BUT UNWANTED FOOD?

This community fridge allows people and businesses to share good quality surplus food rather than throwing it away. You may go away on holiday, or you simply know you won’t eat everything you have.

What You Need To Know

Individuals can only provide fruit, vegetables, non-dairy drinks, bakery products that do not contain cream and nonperishables (tins, pasta etc.)

This is for environmental health reasons. All food must be within its ‘use by’ date (past ‘best before’ is OK) Registered food businesses can also provide cooked food.

WE CANNOT ACCEPT FISH, COOKED RICE OR COOKED EGGS

Unpackaged food such as vegetables or bread must be placed in clean plastic bags (there are bags in the clear plastic box to the right of the fridge). These must also be labelled with the ‘use before’ date which our volunteers can help with.

What You Need To Do

Place the food safely in the right part of the fridge:

• Fruit, vegetables and bread in the bottom half

• Non-perishables (tins, pasta etc.) in the crate on top of the fridge

• Cooked/’at risk’ foods from registered food businesses only in the top half

WHAT CAN I BRING?

This food can include:

• Sauces

• Boxed or canned meals (soup, stew, pasta, etc.)

• Cereals

• Fruit juices

• Non-perishable proteins

• Fresh produce (fruit, vegetables, eggs, etc.)

• Basic pantry essentials (flour, sugar, rice, salt, pepper, etc.)

• Allergy-friendly foods

• Yogurts

• Milk

• Toiletries

• Raw meat

All FOOD MUST TO BE SEALED AND LABELED

WHAT CAN GO IN THE FRIDGE?

• The Community fridge must not contain meat, fish, cooked rice or any foods past their ‘Use By’ date.

• Use By vs. Best Before ▪ ‘Best Before’ dates are listed on ‘low risk’ foods with a long shelf life (e.g. broccoli). These will make up the majority of the foods in the fridge.

• ‘Use By’ dates are higher risk foods with a short shelf life (e.g. sandwiches from supermarkets or bakeries). These are thrown away by retailers at the end of the day and must be consumed that day.

• Cooked foods must be labelled with allergen information and may only be donated by certified food retailers or when prepared, ‘use by’ date and allergen information. Otherwise, sadly these will go to the waste bin.

• Any cooked food must have a label with the ‘use by’ date from the shop, or a label stating the donor must be labelled with allergen information and may only be donated by certified food retailers or when prepared,

• ‘Best before’ date refers to quality rather than food safety. Foods with a 'best before' date should be safe to eat after the 'best before' date, but they may no longer be at their best. ‘Sell by’ and ‘display until’ dates are for shop staff only – don’t worry about them.

• For previously frozen food, the food must state when it started thawing. Any unpacked veg or fruit: look at food in and out logbook and see when they were added. Throw out if they have been in the fridge for more than 5 days. If it’s not in the logbook, throw out if it