Ever wondered what happens to all that yummy Woolworths food that's past it 'sell-by' date but still looks good enough to eat?

Since Woolworths humble beginnings in 1931, caring for people has been at the heart of the Woolworths way of doing business. In 1973 it became the first South African retailer to introduce sell-by-dates on their food to guarantee freshness to the consumer.

Woolworths is committed to using its surplus products to help ease the burden of poverty in South Africa. Each year they donate millions of rands’ worth of clothes and surplus food to underprivileged South Africans through local charities..

The surplus food that is donated is past its “Sell-By” date but still before its “Best Before” and “Use By” dates, so is completely safe to eat. The clothing is surplus product or customer give-backs.

In 2009 R262m* worth of goods were donated to needy charities (in 2008: R239m was donated).  That's a whopping load of good they're doing.

So even if you wish you could get your hands on these goodies, rest assured they are going to those who need it a whole lot more.

 *Note: These figures represent the cost to company, not the retail price of the items.