Kuala lumpur: About 1.16 million households have benefited from the Food Bank initiative under the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) since 2020, its minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said. However, he stated that the actual number of beneficiaries might be higher as the figure only reflects data from the Food Bank Secretariat under KPDN, while numerous non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are also independently implementing similar initiatives nationwide. According to BERNAMA News Agency, Armizan emphasized the importance of this program in ensuring no group is left out by inviting NGOs to participate as strategic partners in the Food Bank initiative. Speaking at the Ronda Ramadan Ihsan Food Bank (i-FB) program, he highlighted the government's efforts to strengthen the initiative through the i-FB program. This aims to attract more strategic partners, including industry players, NGOs, and institutions, to expand food distribution. Addressing food waste is another critical aspect of the initiat ive. The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) reported that Malaysia generates about 17,000 tonnes of food waste daily, with approximately 4,000 tonnes still suitable for redistribution. Armizan noted that salvaging surplus food for those in need not only reduces waste but also mitigates environmental impacts, such as methane emissions. The KPDN has also introduced retort machines through the Incubator Ihsan Food Bank program to process surplus food into ready-to-eat meals. So far, 14 retort machines have been provided to institutions, including hotels and educational institutions, for pilot projects under this initiative. Armizan revealed that discussions are ongoing with the Finance Ministry to develop a recognition mechanism for NGOs and industry players involved in the Food Bank initiative. This mechanism aims to acknowledge their commitment to alleviating living costs while supporting environmental sustainability and national food security. He expressed hope that this recogn ition mechanism could be announced soon and included in the next year's Budget.