A bill that would make it easier for restaurants to donate leftover food to charity is making its way through the Oklahoma State Senate. It passed the House last week.
It’s know as the Josephine Meade Anti-Hunger Act, and it would bring state law into alignment with the federal laws protecting restaurants from liabilities associated with donating the leftover, prepared food that isn’t served to customers.
Joey Abbo is with the NEEDS Foundation in Oklahoma City, which facilitates donations of leftovers. He says restaurants that donate receive a lucrative tax write-off.
“It actually allows them to write off double of what their food cost was,” he said, “if they donate it as opposed to throw it away.”
He says, on average, a restaurant might throw away 30 pounds of hot and cold food per day and around 100 pounds of bread and pastries.
Abbo says the NEEDS Foundation is receiving daily calls from restaurants in Oklahoma City interested in donating once the law takes effect.