Why does Publix throw away food?

If Publix gave food away to people, there would be a chance that the company could get sued. Granted that the food might not be that old, it’s not really worth the risk to the company. It makes sense when you think about it through the eyes of a corporation as big as publix. read more

However, rumors spreading via social media that Publix stores will throw away any food items that are returned are not true. Bottled water and other non-perishable items can go back on store shelves. "When a non-perishable product is returned, our store associates assess the quality and return it to the shelf if it meets our standards," a Publix spokesperson said via the company's Facebook page. read more

These issues have parallels in consumers' homes. In general, consumers buy too much food, throw it away too quickly, and pay little attention to waste. Food waste on the consumer level is double that of the retail level (90 billion pounds of food versus 42 billion pounds). read more