General information on catering collections
Who benefits from the surplus food?
Olio was designed with the purpose of minimising food waste so we have intentionally eliminated any barriers for requesters; this means that anyone can request food through the Olio app. Survey data indicates that we are helping many people in need in an anonymous and stigma free way, with over 50% of respondents revealing that they couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals at some point in the last 12 months. For more information, see the results of our 2022 Social Impact Survey.
Are we liable if the end consumer gets food poisoning?
No. The moment the food is handed to a volunteer, Olio take primary responsibility for its safety. Our volunteers are fully trained in Food Safety so they know how to properly handle different food types and will reject any food that does not meet our guidelines (e.g. past use-by date, not at the right temperature, etc.). They will also check the food before donating it to the end consumer to ensure it is still safe to eat. However, business donors shall remain liable for their own negligence (e.g. wrong allergen information, presence of a foreign body, etc.). This information is highlighted in our Food Donation Agreement which your account manager will share with you.
When can our food be collected?
We are flexible in arranging collections according to your requirements, whether it’s the number of collections, the timing or the location. The recommended approach is to identify when and where you have the greatest amount of surplus and establish regular collections. We will then continually monitor and make adjustments until we find the most effective times and days for optimal efficiency.
What is the minimum amount of food to request a collection?
We ask for a minimum of 5 items or portions per collection to make the trip worthwhile for our volunteers. We want to ensure that we have the greatest chance of getting your business as close to zero waste as possible so we encourage you to request a collection for any amount equal or greater than 5 items.
What if some days we have no food, or other days we have a lot?
That is not a problem, we know surplus patterns are unpredictable. For these cases, we recommend scheduling regular collections so that volunteers can be recruited and ready, and we provide you with a QR code that you can quickly scan prior to the collection time to notify the volunteers if there IS or there IS NOT food to collect. For ad-hoc collections (i.e. after an event or one off situations) you can contact your account manager ideally 24 hours before.