Foodbank WA is calling for the creation of safety and nutritional guidelines for food donations after an audit of more than 85,000 kilograms of donation.

Lead researcher and PhD candidate at Curtin University Sharonna Mossenson says the audit was carried out over five days at Foodbank WA’s Perth Airport facilities.

Ms Mossensen says the main food group found within the audit were sweet and savoury snacks while more than 40 per cent of all beverages donated were soft drinks.

Ms Mossenson says it is important to acknowledge the quantity and types of food donated to food banks are very unpredictable and that guidelines would help steer donors in the right direction.

“Currently, there are no existing nutrition guidelines at food banks in Western Australia and Australia more broadly, so we need fit-for-purpose guidelines for food relief that govern what can and can’t be donated,” she says.

HillSide Church Community Outreach is one of the many organisations across Western Australia providing food relief to those in need.

Operations coordinator David Bonanno says HCCO is concerned about the drop in quality and amount of food being donated.

The volunteer-operated program is open between 10:30 am and 1:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and has experienced difficulty in meeting demand for emergency food.

Today the shelves of HCCO had been cleared out before the organisation had closed its doors for the day.

On the mornings that the food relief program operates, volunteers sort through food donations to ensure individuals and families in need only receive quality and safe food packages.

This often means discarding inedible food, which can include items past their expiry date or mouldy and rotten fruit.

Mr Bonanno says he would like to see the quality of food donations improve as the food is essential for many people.

“We would love to be able to have foods that are nutritious and filling, and be able to know that kids aren’t going to go to school hungry,” he says.

Mr Bonanno says he agrees with Foodbank WA’s call for donation guidelines and welcomes any actions that can put a higher bar on donations.

City of Kalamunda Councillor Brooke O’Donnell has also seen the community benefit of food banks firsthand, having been the former Chair of the Foothills Information and Referral Services.

Ms O’Donnell says the service would receive a truckload of food items from Foodbank each week which was then given to vulnerable community members.

The service was targeted towards people with low-incomes, who could receive a box of food at a reduced cost between $5 and $50.

Councillor O’Donnell says the quality of food provided by emergency relief services can impact an individual’s sense of belonging in society, particularly for those already suffering from poor mental or physical health.

“People that receive those goods might feel quite happy and grateful to receive some food, but then people sometimes can feel like they are a substandard person in society if they are receiving food that is off,” she says.

While Councillor O’Donnell says more should be done to prioritise healthy and nutritious food for people in need, some snack foods shouldn’t be scrapped altogether.

“It’s going to make them feel far more like a member of society that is able to enjoy and give their kids or family a treat once in a while.”