Metro expands food waste reduction program

MONTRÉAL – Building on its recent pilot in five Metro grocery stores since November 2019, Québec-based start-up FoodHero is extending its reach by deploying to nearly 100 Metro stores.

The FoodHero anti-waste app can help shoppers save 30 to 50 percent off unsold products that are close to their expiry date and that remain fresh and fully consumable, such as meat, fish, cheese, prepared meals and bakery and pastry products. In the pilot project, which started last November in five Montreal stores, nearly 6,000 orders were placed, representing more than 30,000 products sold via the application.

“Building on the success of our pilot project, we are excited to deploy the FoodHero program throughout our store network and continue our efforts to reduce food waste,” said Richard Frenkcuec, vice-president, retail execution and customer experience, Metro.

“FoodHero complements our price reduction program in Québec that offers a 30 percent discount on products nearing their expiry date and provides us with an additional avenue to reduce the amount of unsold products going to landfill, contributing to our commitment to reduce food waste in our operations by 50 percent by 2025.”

Launched in May 2019, the FoodHero app recently passed the 400,000-download milestone and continues to grow, demonstrating consumers’ desire to do their part to reduce food waste while saving money on purchases. “We are very happy with Metro’s decision to bring our application to so many additional stores and be part of the solution to this growing challenge,” said Jonathan Defoy, founder of FoodHero.

FoodHero is a start-up founded by Jonathan Defoy, an entrepreneur with nearly 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is supported by Alain Brisebois, a strategic advisor who has held several senior management positions at major retailers in the food industry.

In addition to offering discounted products at participating retailers, FoodHero also calculates the  CO₂ “savings” achieved by avoiding residual waste using a scientific formula validated by a firm with recognized expertise in renewable energy. FoodHero is now available in nearly 250 grocery stores across Québec.