How to safely donate and receive frozen food

Freezing acts as a ‘pause button’ on the shelf life of food. So, if the food is suitable for freezing, it’s a great way to help more food get redistributed. 

When freezing food

  • Only freeze items that are "suitable for freezing"
    • Look out for the ❄️ instructions on the label
    • Whole ingredients (fruit, veg, meat, fish) will not be labelled and can be frozen
  • Demonstrate the date that the food was frozen.
  • For food carrying a ‘Use By’ date, demonstrate that the freezing took place before midnight of the use-by date.
    • Re-label this food with a new 'Best Before' date which will be the day that it is frozen.
    • Store food Frozen for up to 1 month.
  • Ensure that the food is in an acceptable condition and suitable for freezing (e.g. as indicated by the manufacturer’s instructions).
  • Ensure the food is frozen all the way through to the core.
  • Supply information relating to the food and its freezing to the requester – including information about when the product was frozen and instructions for defrosting and cooking

When receiving frozen food

  • Once received, frozen food can be in transit for 2 hours and should be thawed in the refrigerator until completely defrosted and used within 24 hours.
  • Follow manufacturer's cooking instructions if available

Source: WRAP redistribution & labelling

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