A research team at Iowa State University is developing a mobile-friendly app to enable restaurants, grocery stores and individuals to post information about excess food they have to donate. Likewise, those in need will be able to use the app to find nearby locations where food is available for pickup. The team is led by Sugam Sharma, a computer science expert and systems analyst at ISU’s Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology. He and his collaborators plan to test a prototype of the program, called eFeed-Hungers, this summer in Ames. An estimated 40 percent of the food produced in the United States is wasted, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service. The researchers designed the software so donors can take the food to a public place, such as a food pantry or church serving free meals, for pickup and distribution. “We wanted to make it as simple as possible, so people will not hesitate to donate,” Sharma said. To read the ISU News Service story, click here.