The offering was launched in the Detroit metro area on Earth Day. Each flashfoodbox contains about 15 pounds of surplus food including fruits, vegetables and protein, priced at about $45 per box. Producers, farmers and growers will provide the rescued fruits and vegetables — that is, products that grocers won’t sell for reasons such as an unpleasant or misshapen appearance — to be sold for the flashfoodbox. Tyson Innovation Lab, a special product development team at Tyson Foods, worked with Flashfood to develop the product.
The boxes can be ordered online or through the Flashfood app available through most online app stores and are delivered directly to a customer’s home. By using surplus food as the basis for the flashfoodbox, these products are being made available to consumers at a significantly lower price point than they would pay at food retailers, according to Tyson Foods.
One goal of the offering, the companies say, is to educate people on the facts about food waste. “Nearly one-third of all food produced in America ends up as waste, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,” says Josh Domingues, founder and CEO of Flashfoods.
The companies chose Detroit because the city has demonstrated a commitment to revitalization. “Detroit has historically been a city that many have viewed as having a lack of opportunity,” Domingues says. “But over the last few years, there’s been a vibrant resurgence and we want to be part of that fabric as we scale the flashfoodbox into the U.S.” The companies are also partnering with Detroit-based nonprofit Forgotten Harvest, an organization that fights food waste and food insecurity.
