Table 1 Description of participants' professional backgrounds

P1

Founder and director of a logistics organisation transporting surplus food to charities across the country

P2

Food safety expert advising food charities about food safety and quality on a pro bono basis

P3

Independent food packaging professional offering pro bono consultancy services to charitable organisations that redistribute surplus food

P4

Quality management and regulatory affairs professional offering pro bono consultancy services to charitable organisations that redistribute surplus food

P5

Founder of a social start-up that connects retail surplus with charities that run soup kitchens and social restaurants

P6

Hospitality professional volunteering with a charity that prepares meals from retail surplus and offers them to those in need, free of cost

P7

Procurement professional offering pro bono consultancy services to charitable organisations that redistribute surplus food

P8

Employee of a charitable shop that runs a community refrigerator

P9

Fresh produce grower and the founder of a start-up valorising fresh produce waste and surplus into VASP

P10

Co-founder of a catering company that connects the hospitality industry with surplus produce

P11

Head of business development for a start-up that valorises fruit peels into VASP such as food additives and functional ingredients

P12

Research and development manager for a start-up that valorises fruit peels into VASP such as food additives and functional ingredients

P13

Quality manager for a business that creates VASP such as soups and sauces from catering leftovers

P14

Sustainability manager for a retail chain that donates a portion of its surplus food products to charities

P15

Co-founder of a start-up that valorises vegetable processing by-products into VASP such as pasta

P16

Sales executive for a digital platform connecting consumers with close to expiration food products in supermarket and other food retail outlets