Recipients of the handouts told Yle that some of the items are not necessarily useful when the goal is to feed a family.
Food waste has come under scrutiny this week after Yle reported over the weekend that some recipients of food aid in the city of Kokkola are throwing away the food they receive.
In an online survey, Yle asked food aid recipients across Finland to share their experiences. Nearly 300 responded.
Most respondents said they were satisfied with the contents of the food parcels. A small minority, however, said that the products were neither what they wanted nor needed.
In some cases, food that was already past its usable condition ultimately ended up in the garbage.
“There are often expensive products that I would never buy myself,” said Ville-Veikko Honkala of Seinäjoki. “Sometimes there’s little more than items that have passed their use-by date, along with the inevitable overripe bananas and tomatoes.”
Katja Kohtala from Kauhajoki said the contents weren’t always practical.
“Some of it is past its expiry date. Then there are a few vegetables — one apple, one head of lettuce — so it’s not much,” she said. “Then there’s chilli pastes and similar condiments that aren’t too useful.”
Families with children aren’t always taken into consideration, claimed one recipient in Nummela.
“The bags are pre-packed, and they do not take into account whether the recipient is a family or a single person.” This recipient, who wished to remain anonymous, said they had received a packet of cold cuts, a small bag of lettuce, two tomatoes and a 200 gram package of seasoned meat.
“This was meant to provide meals for two adults and two children,” they added. “As a parent, I do not feel I received meaningful assistance.”
