Food Rescue Guidelines from SOS Thailand Awards 2026 on 16 October 2026

On 16 October 2026, CP AXTRA, the operator of the Makro and Lotus's wholesale and retail businesses, shared lessons on surplus food management, or Food Rescue, at the SOS Thailand Awards 2026. On this occasion, Mrs Siriporn Dechsingha, Chief Corporate Sustainability and Communications Officer, joined a panel discussion titled "Top Leaders Behind Driving a Sustainable Food System" to share the approach to working with the SOS Thailand Foundation, which has continued for nearly 10 years. This exchange of guidelines aims to turn surplus food into value and pass it on safely to those in need, while expanding collaboration with partners across all sectors to develop a sustainable food system in the long term.

Guidelines for Establishing a Food Rescue System and Food Safety Standards for the Business Sector

Mrs Siriporn recommended guidelines for businesses starting Food Rescue, beginning with changing the perspective on surplus food from something to be disposed of into a resource that still holds value and helps increase opportunities for food access. The next step is to make Food Rescue a system continuously embedded within normal business operations. At the same time, organisations must prioritise Food Safety throughout the entire process, from sorting, storage and transport through to final delivery to recipients.

Beyond internal management, working with partners who have different areas of expertise is essential, because no single organisation can solve the surplus food issue across every dimension on its own. The business sector should also measure operational performance comprehensively, covering the volume of food passed on, whether the food reaches those genuinely in need, and the development of systems to prevent food loss at the source. Mrs Siriporn emphasised that building a sustainable food system is a shared responsibility across all sectors, and if every organisation starts with what it can do and collaborates to scale up results, it will tangibly reduce food loss and benefit society.

Expanding Collaboration Through the "Kin Dai Mai Thing Kan" (Edible, Not Wasted) Project with Technology

To date, CP AXTRA has worked continuously with the SOS Thailand Foundation to rescue and pass on good-quality, safe surplus food to people in need of assistance. In addition, it has helped drive the "Kin Dai Mai Thing Kan" (Edible, Not Wasted) project, which is a collaboration between the public sector, private sector, civil society and academia. The project applies Food Safety knowledge and technology to help elevate the food rescue and distribution process for the maximum benefit of both donors and recipients.

The guidelines from this panel discussion are of direct interest and benefit to hoteliers, event organisers and restaurant operators who manage food and ingredients in their daily service operations. Hotel staff and event organisers can systematically apply the principles of sorting, maintaining Food Safety standards and preventing food loss at the source to banquet planning and hospitality services. Meanwhile, travellers and general consumers can also learn about business-sector collaboration aimed at making efficient use of food resources for social and environmental sustainability.