A Tauranga "dumpster diver" says he is prepared to be arrested to raise awareness of food waste in the community.
A video featuring Leo Murray eating cake and displaying a table laden with food taken from supermarket skip bins has received tens of thousands of views online.
In the clip, Mr Murray reveals the haul which includes trays of Marmite and Nutella, dairy products, bread and other items taken in an evening raid.
However, one supermarket chain says in its opinion it is theft to take food from its waste bins. It says the food may be unsafe to eat and another chain agrees it could be a health risk. Police also say it could be illegal.
Mr Murray, a Tauranga sustainability consultant, says he wants to raise awareness over food wastage and was prepared to be arrested.
He had been on several co-ordinated jaunts with like-minded friends foraging through skips but declined to say which supermarkets they hit.
But reaction to his video was shock and a "real blatant rage among socially progressive people in New Zealand that all of this food is being thrown away", he said.
"I think a great way to draw attention to a subject is through civil disobedience. I would entirely welcome being arrested...I am happy to go through the court system to raise awareness."
He felt anger, frustration and sadness about the amount of food being binned by supermarkets and said the issue was "multi-dimensional".
"It's a social issue with all these people going hungry, a redistribution issue and a mismanagement of resources....with food going to the landfill."
Countdown spokeswoman Kate Porter said it did not encourage or condone people taking food from its bins. In her view it was theft.
Every Countdown store across the country donates food that can't be sold but was still safe to be eaten to food rescue organisations and foodbanks, she said.
"In the Bay of Plenty fresh food is collected every weekday by Good Neighbour and non-perishable food is donated to the Salvation Army."
Food that ends up in the waste bin really should be thrown away.
"It may not be safe to eat. Food expiry dates are based on testing and if food has been thrown out, recalled or withdrawn, it is there for a reason - food safety cannot be guaranteed."
Foodstuffs external relations head Antoinette Laird said it acknowledged some items may be edible and "some people see dumpster diving as a way of accessing free food" but there were significant health risks associated with the activity.
"We would strongly recommend against it."
Many of its stores locked the bins as part of their health and safety protocols.
An efficiently run store did not have a great deal of food waste, she said and the tonnage of food waste was generally less than 1 per cent of the product sold.
"The majority of this is not fit for human consumption and is an inevitable result of food preparation and includes bones, fat, fruit and vegetable trimmings."
Tauranga Foodstuffs' initiatives included donations of grocery items to the Tauranga Food Bank, support to local churches, donations to schools, and damaged pet food biscuits or tins given to a Tauranga kennel and cattery.
Cauliflower leaves and carrot tops were regularly sent to a local pig farmer.
A police spokeswoman said abandoned property - items that have been thrown away - cannot be stolen, although property that appears abandoned was often still owned by someone.
"It's likely the property is owned by the supermarket, and a person found taking it could be charged with theft.
"It would require the supermarket to make a complaint to police, and police would use discretion based on the individual circumstance about what action to take."
If the skip was on private property, then a person found taking items from it could be charged with burglary, she said.
"In any case, if a report or complaint was made to police, we would assess the circumstances around the individual report.
"Police work alongside local councils and relevant social agencies to help ensure people who need assistance and support receive the relevant help.
"We would encourage people to contact those agencies for assistance, rather than potentially put themselves or others at risk."