Foodies flock to Montreal’s popular Jean-Talon Market to source fresh produce. Their discerning palates demand nothing but the best. But those high culinary standards see vendors there toss out around 200 tons of perfectly edible food every year.

It’s a problem that extends far beyond Montreal’s Little Italy enclave. A 2013 report by the United Nations estimates 1.3 billion tons of food goes to waste globally every year, costing $US750 billion in food costs and environmental impacts.

Those are tough statistics to swallow given that Food Banks Canada found demand across its network was nearly 30 per cent higher last March than at the height of the global recession in 2008.

“They only want the best,” said one frustrated Jean-Talon merchant. “If it is touched, if it does not look perfect, they don’t buy it.”

Now, a local food bank, armed with a loan from the city, plans to install a fridge at the market to save the less than gourmet goods from the garbage. It’s a small, simple solution, but one that could make a big difference for groups trying to help more families put food on the table.

The idea follows in the footsteps of a major Quebec-wide supermarket initiative aimed at keeping food away from landfills. The provincial government was the first to kick in funding, helping to transport the redistributed food. But Moisson Québec spokesperson André Girard explains that transporting the market’s excess edibles is only a small part of the job.

“We bring them (produce) to refrigerators. We sort them. We make sure that everything is well-packaged. And we make sure we bring them back the freezers, and send them out to the (food bank) associations,” he said.

Some famously food-loving European nations have taken even stronger measures to cut down on waste. France banned large supermarkets from ditching or destroying unsold food in 2016. Food banks in that country hope the policy will yield 10 million more meals each year for those in need. Italy has focused its efforts on tax initiatives that encourage stores to donate their less-than-perfect goods.

The policies, like the food they govern, are admittedly not perfect. But officials and merchants say it’s all about encouraging consumers to think about the impact of how they shop.

“There is always a second chance for fruits and vegetables that are more ripe,” said one waste-conscious shopper.

With a report from CTV’s Genevieve Beauchemin in Montreal