Over 20,400 Maltese people, or about five per cent of the population, are shortlisted to benefit from the EU food aid scheme this year.

The scheme re-distributes to people in need throughout the EU food that ends up being surplus through the common agricultural policy.

Since joining, Malta has received, on a yearly basis, large amounts of food supplies such as rice and milk powder. In Malta, the scheme is administered by the YMCA.

The scheme coordinator in Malta, Roberta Grech, said the beneficiaries were means-tested and included single mothers, people with disability and others with little or no income.

The goods are distributed once a month to 52 parishes and 50 non-governmental organisations which, in turn, hand over the food to those eligible.

Ms Grech said there were enough supplies to last until another consignment arrives. The goods are labelled to show they form part of the EU food aid scheme in order to ensure they are not sold.

This year's consignment consisted of sugar and jam while tokens were being distributed for milk, skimmed milk, yoghurt and ricotta. There was a list of shops in each town and village where the needy could exchange their tokens.

The scheme was originally set up by the EU in 1987 allowing member states to release public stocks of surplus food as aid. Since then, the situation has changed as stocks are at an all-time low while the number of needy people increase and food prices rise.

Although the EU has, on average, among the highest living standards in the world, some people are still unable to adequately feed themselves. An estimated 43 million people in the EU are at risk of food poverty, meaning they cannot afford a meal with meat, chicken or fish every second day.

The EU estimates that in 2006 over 13 million citizens benefited from its food aid scheme.