Rules and how it works
Everything you need to know about how L’Épicerie works and its rules.
How does L’Épicerie work?
The SurpreNantes Épicerie works on a simple principle: it collects unsold food items and hygiene products in order to redistribute them free of charge to students in need. Distributions take place by registration to ensure a fair and well-organized system adapted to the number of beneficiaries. Registered students can come and collect a food parcel during the association’s scheduled distribution sessions.
Each food parcel is designed to provide a balanced selection of items, including two sweet products, three savory products, and one fresh item. The offer is completed with a selection of three fruits and vegetables, one bakery item, one dairy product, as well as a hygiene product. The entire process (collection, sorting, preparation of the baskets, and distribution) is carried out by the association’s volunteers.
Rules of L’Épicerie
To ensure that the distribution process runs smoothly and to allow as many students as possible to benefit from it, certain rules must be followed:
Hygiene Rules and Product Information
The products distributed mainly come from unsold food items collected from partner organizations. Before being redistributed, they are carefully checked and sorted by volunteers. Some products may display a best-before date (DDM “Date de Durabilité Minimale”) that has passed. A best-before date indicates that a product may lose some of its qualities (taste, texture, etc.), but it remains safe to consume if it has been properly stored. On the other hand, products with a use-by date (DLC “Date Limite de Consommation”) must be consumed before the indicated date. These products are not distributed once this date has been exceeded.