Edible Food Recovery Program

Food recovery means collecting edible food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributing it to feed people in need. This is the highest and best use for food that would otherwise go to waste. Feeding hungry people through food recovery is the best use for surplus food and a vital way for California to conserve resources and reduce waste thrown in landfills. 

Senate Bill 1383 and Food Recovery

To reduce food waste and help address food insecurity, Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) requires that by 2025 California will recover 20 percent of edible food that would otherwise be sent to landfills, to feed people in need. The law directs the following:

  • Jurisdictions must establish food recovery programs and strengthen their existing food recovery networks
  • Food donors must arrange to recover the maximum amount of their edible food that would otherwise go to landfills
  • Food recovery organizations and services that participate in SB 1383 must maintain records

What is edible food?

Edible food means food intended for people to eat, including food not sold because of:

  • Appearance
  • Age
  • Freshness
  • Grade
  • Size
  • Surplus

Edible food includes but is not limited to:

  •  Prepared foods
  •  Packaged foods
  •  Produce

For additional information regarding Food Recovery in California and Edible Food Recovery Programs and the requirements, please visit CalRecycle’s website.


Food Donors

SB 1383 places mandated food donors into two tiers. This tier system allows businesses and jurisdictions more time to prepare to expand or build new food recovery infrastructure and capacity to donate foods that are harder to safely store and distribute.  The first tier is required to donate starting in 2022. The second tier is required to donate starting in 2024. Mandated food donors can help their communities now by starting to work with local food banks, food pantries, and other food recovery organizations and services.

Edible Food Recovery

The regulations require mandated food donors to donate for people to eat the maximum amount of their edible food that would otherwise be disposed.

To ensure that the maximum amount of edible food is recovered, the regulations require that mandated food donors establish contracts or written agreements with food recovery organizations and services.

The law requires mandated food donors to maintain records of their food donation activities.

Jurisdictions will monitor compliance by requesting the following types of records during inspections:

  • Contract or written agreement information for food recovery organizations and services
  • Schedules for food donation deliveries or collections
  • Quantity of food donated in pounds per month
  • Types of food each food recovery organization and service will receive or collect

Edible Food Recovery Organizations and Services (PDF)


For additional information regarding requirements and for tools and resources to assist commercial edible food generators with compliance, please visit CalRecycle’s website.

Edible Food Recovery Organizations

Although SB 1383 requires mandated food donors to donate the maximum amount of their edible food that would otherwise be disposed, SB 1383 does not require food recovery organizations and services to participate. It is at the discretion of individual food recovery organizations and services to decide if they would like to participate. If a food recovery organization or service does choose to establish contracts or written agreements with mandated food donors, then SB 1383 requires them to keep records of the total pounds they collect from the mandated food donors.

For additional information regarding requirements and for tools and resources to assist edible food recovery organizations with compliance, please visit CalRecycle’s website.

If you would like to file a complaint related to non-compliance with SB 1383 Edible Food Recovery Program requirements, please contact Public Works by email at solidwaste@lodi.gov, or by mail at Public Works, Attention: Edible Food Recovery Program, PO Box 3006, Lodi, CA 95241.