In an effort to support children's cafeterias, which provide meals and a place to stay for children and local residents, Kanagawa Prefecture has begun a new initiative to provide frozen foods in collaboration with food companies.
According to the prefecture, children's cafeterias mainly use donated ingredients to provide meals, but food that requires freezing or refrigeration, such as meat and seafood, requires transportation costs, and stable procurement is difficult. The current situation is difficult.
In an effort to resolve these issues, Kanagawa Prefecture began a new initiative last month in collaboration with three food companies in the prefecture and private organizations to provide frozen meat and seafood to children's cafeterias.
The products provided are, for example, frozen foods such as cut-off meat that is generated during the manufacturing process of food companies and does not fit the size of the product, which the company previously had no choice but to throw away, so this will help prevent food loss.
The prefecture set up a fund, collected donations, and installed a special refrigerated truck so that private organizations could use the vehicles to transport frozen foods to bases throughout the prefecture and provide them to nearby children's cafeterias.
This initiative to provide a stable supply of frozen foods to children's cafeterias throughout the prefecture is rare even in Japan.
Governor Kuroiwa of Kanagawa Prefecture said, ``There are many people who rely on children's cafeterias.If frozen foods are delivered, I think the menu will be greatly enriched.''