Muhammad on a mission to stop food waste with The Helping Hunger Foundation

Muhammad Ali, 32, founder of The Helping Hunger Foundation, appeared on BBC1’s The Big Food Rescue, broadcast on December 2 at 9.15am, as viewers followed his journey to collect ‘waste’ food and donate it to charities.

The programme argued that many products thrown out by supermarkets and food stores are still fit for consumption, and that greater efforts should be made to deliver them to vulnerable people.

Muhammad said: “I wanted to learn about the services that were out there, so I visited Oxford Food Bank.

“The BBC were holding meetings there for the show and asked, ‘do you mind us filming you?’, so I had to contact potential charities and suppliers straight away!

“I was a little nervous at first as I didn’t know how I was supposed to come across, but when I was speaking to the charities I didn’t get phased.

“It was a really quick turnaround, as filming was only done about three weeks ago.”

Muhammad collected some ‘waste’ grocery fruit that had a few blemishes but was still fine to eat, and met with day centre, Prebend, in Bedford, who were delighted to hold further talks and make his free food deliveries possible.

Muhammad said: “I first had the idea earlier this year, because a charity advert came on the television showing malnourished children, and my own two children tried to carry their plates to the TV.

“I thought how lucky we were - there are people around Luton who may not be able to have a meal every day.”

Muhammad is now sorting out suppliers and charities around Luton and Bedford, planning logistics, and hopes to find volunteers to help deliver food to the charities either in their own vehicles or helping him in his car.

To find out more, visit: www.thehelpinghungerfoundation.org