Global brands, technology suppliers, logistics firms and food charities have joined forces to create a new food consortium, which will pilot an AI solution to tackle food waste. In response to WRAP data that suggests an estimated 4.6million tonnes of edible food – equivalent to 10billion meals – the food consortium aims to use the tech to redistribute up to 1.5million surplus meals.

A powerhouse of innovation to tackle food waste

Brought together by climate tech hub, Sustainable Ventures, the new food group will see Bristol Superlight, FareShare, FuturePlus, Google Cloud, Howard Tenens Logistics, Nestlé UK&I and Zest (formerly The Wonki Collective) combine to develop the AI-powered solution for surplus food redistribution.

The AI-led food redistribution project is part of Innovate UK’s (IUK) BridgeAI initiative, which offers support and funding for cutting-edge tech projects that leverage AI to drive productivity and innovation.

Optimising food surplus for greater social impact

“This exciting cross-industry initiative builds on work we have undertaken over the last decade to tackle food waste and will enable us to further optimise surplus within our operations,” Dr Emma Keller, Head of Sustainability at Nestlé UK&I, said. Simon Millard, Director of Food at FareShare, added: “We are enormously grateful to all the partners involved in this project… by unlocking new efficiencies in systems, we will be able to get more food to those groups [in need] and create greater social impact.”

The collaboration will integrate Zest’s AI-powered platform with food manufacturers, logistics providers and charities to create supply chain efficiency. Zest’s platform will then use Google Cloud’s BigQuery and Vertex AI to match surplus food, including products and ingredients, to demand. Middle-mile logistics firm, Bristol Superlight’s integrated AI/ML-driven system then enables the quality of surplus food to be measured and tracked throughout its delivery journey.

A vision to transform food sourcing and distribution

Director of AI and Data Economy at IUK, Esra Kasapoglu, said that the project will “transform food sourcing and distribution across the UK, cutting waste, reducing carbon emissions, and lowering costs.” Dini McGrath, Co-Founder of Zest, added that working with a group of “powerhouses” will bring it closer to its “shared goal of building a more transparent and sustainable food system.”

“This pioneering project is just the start, laying the foundation for future innovations that will drive circular economy models and advance sustainability efforts.”

Esra Kasapoglu, Director of AI and Data Economy, IUK

The consortium hopes to redistribute up to 700 tonnes of quality surplus food, equating to 1.5 million meals, preventing up to 1,400 tonnes of CO2 being emitted.