Toast Box customer questions food waste after seeing trays of buns discarded at Shaw House outlet, cafe denies claims
A Toast Box customer took to social media claiming she had witnessed employees emptying trays of buns into a bin while preparing to close the store at the end of the day.
Facebook user Joanna Ong Ash posted about the incident on March 25, recounting that she was at the Toast Box outlet at Shaw House at about 8.55pm that day, and had bought five buns for $9.80.
In her post, Ms Ong, who is currently a director at a communications company, said she saw a staff member “throwing trays of buns into the bin” as she was paying for her order.
The staff member had explained that the food cannot be kept overnight, prompting Ms Ong to ask if the food could be given away or distributed to those in need.
In her post, she said that she had bought the buns to be consumed the following morning.
“I am just totally shocked by this food waste when I think about those who have been displaced by war, no food because of poverty,” Ms Ong added, questioning how long the practice had been going on.
‘The infrastructure is there’: Customer cites possible solutions
In a LinkedIn post the next day, Ms Ong said she had felt “stunned and very furious” at the store’s protocol.
She also cited a blog post which stated that Singapore generates over 2 million kg of food waste each day, listing companies that had implemented innovative food-saving strategies.
“The infrastructure is there. The law is there. The demand is there. What’s missing is the will and the accountability,” Ms Ong wrote, saying that discarding food was “easier than building a redistribution protocol”.
While she acknowledged logistical and manpower constraints, she added: “But those are problems to solve, not excuses to hide behind, especially when others have already solved them.”
Stomp has reached out to Ms Ong for comment.
Toast box denies claims
A Toast Box spokesperson responded in the comments section of Ms Ong’s Facebook post, saying that there are established arrangements to redistribute unsold products while adhering to food safety protocols.
“Currently, we donate unsold, suitable products to several non-profit organisations and volunteer groups including Food From the Heart, PAP Smart Fridge, Food Sharing Group Volunteers, Waste No Food, and GB555,” the spokesperson wrote.
“These donations are collected from selected outlets and shared with various senior care facilities and families who may benefit.”
‘Damned if you do, damned if you don’t’
Hundreds of netizens commented on the post, with some expressing outrage at the waste and sharing similar experiences.
“I happen to purchased few pastry near their closing time and the salesperson asked me do you want some of this cause they’re going to throw it anyway,” one netizen claimed.
Others cautioned that distributing unsold food might raise alarm bells for customers.
“We think like that but there will be people who will complain that Toast Box keeps the bread overnight - not fresh and start taking photos,” one commenter wrote.
Some netizens suggested that there was “nothing wrong with it”.
“Who will be responsible if one gets ill when consuming the free bread that is distributed after closing? You?” the netizen said.
Another used the phrase, “damned if you do, damned if you don’t”, to describe the situation.
Businesses might also be under regulations that restrict distributing food after it has been displayed for a certain period, one user added. “While it may seem wasteful, these practises are in place to protect public health.”
According to guidelines by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), bakeries and cake shops are advised not to keep ready-to-eat food at room temperature for more than four hours.
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