On 7 October 2026, the Food Regulation Standing Committee hosted a roundtable in Adelaide on packaged donated foods. The event brought together Australian representatives from the food relief and rescue sector, food industry, research organisations and government.
The roundtable sought to build a shared understanding of issues affecting the donation and redistribution of packaged food, including how food relief activities can be supported while maintaining public health and safety. Presentations from government, industry, and food rescue and relief organisations outlined different perspectives, existing initiatives and practical challenges.
Participants recognised the goodwill and cooperation already supporting food relief activities. They also discussed the complexity of the food regulatory and donated food environments, opportunity to improve consumer understanding of date labelling, and the need to balance food redistribution with public health and safety protections.
The discussion identified areas for further consideration, including best-practice guidance for donated food and date labelling, training and consumer education, and improved information sharing across sectors.
Insights from the roundtable will be used to inform future work planning and opportunities for further cooperation.
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