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Donations of expired food continue to come into Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank

It costs the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank money to dispose of expired food
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The executive director of the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank has issued another appeal to the public not to donate expired food to the organization. (Bev Elder/Submitted)

The executive director of the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank welcomes donations to the organization but also reminds the public about the quality of the donations.

Bev Elder said the run-up to Saturday’s Peninsula Firefighters Christmas Food Drive generated a great response by way of donations, but that not all of the donations will find their way onto the plates of those who need them.

“We just had a gentleman drop off (three) boxes of very expired food,” she said.

Pictures submitted by Elder show several canned items with expiration dates in 2020, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012. One can had an expiration date of 1999, while one bottle of salad dressing had no date at all.

RELATED: Rising demand, prices; food supply chain disruptions impact Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank

“Do not give us garbage,” said Elder earlier in the month. While the Thanksgiving Food Drive in the fall yielded a total 22 pallets of food, volunteers disposed of the equivalent of seven pallets.

“If you won’t eat it, don’t give it to the food bank. It costs me (money) to throw it away, so you are not doing us any favours.”


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wolfgang.depner@peninsulanewsreview.com



Wolf Depner

About the Author: Wolf Depner

I joined the national team with Black Press Media in 2023 from the Peninsula News Review, where I had reported on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula since 2019.
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