France is the first
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As of Wednesday the 4th of this month, France has become the first country in the world to enact a law which bans supermarkets from throwing away or destroying insold food. Instead, they will be required to donate it to charities and food banks. Well done France, nice one.
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Yes but what a pity that legislation is needed to persuade the business sector to act with humanity and give the food away to people who need it. Maybe, just maybe, it will find its way to the people at the Jungle in Calais who are in desperate need.
@stogang.... Courbevoie (a suburb in Paris) councillor Arash Derambarsh kickstarted the grassroots campaign saying that it was , quote ' "scandalous and absurd" that food is wasted and in some cases deliberatly spoiled while the homeless and poor and unemployed go hungry ' unquote.
@wilbur....why is it NOT a good idea?
I have to ask the question ,or state the obvious, but food that is unsold is usually past it's date of consommation. Are you saying France is willing to risk the health of ''poorer people?'' I know food can be eaten after the the date of consommation but the law is the law.
I work within the food industry in France and have been told that supermarkets can no longer contaminate food that is in their waste bins with bleach etc. Is this what you mean?
Where is this information coming from?
I am genuinely interested and would like to know more.
This news has been on every French TV station and newspapers for some while now.
Here it is in English
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/04/french-law-forbids-food-waste-by-supermarkets
John Lydon, exactly which law are you referring to when you say "the law is the law" ? As for risking the health of poorer people, given that there are so many of them, this food will probably reach them and be consumed well within the safe period after the sell by date. We recently accidentally ate some salmon that was 5 days past it's sell by date, we had no ill effects whatsoever and I now look at those dates as arbitrary, stuff I used to throw away due to my poor lfridge control (it's not much), we eat it within reason. i doubt the poor and needy are being asked to risk their lives by eating it.
Perhaps i have not explained myself correctly, I can only speak for the meat industry but would imagine most forms of food supply are required to do the same, With meat, companies are required to carry out daily micro bacteria testing, these are done under various conditions thus to cover for customer abuse of the product, ie produce left in boot of car whilst other shopping, hair dressers and coffee are undertaken after leaving the point of sale, from this an agreed safe sell by and use by date are applied to the packs,these are not the same, The difference between the two dates is usually 2-3 day's. The bacteria growth there after is deemed to be excessive and unsafe and may in some cases cause health problems. If this produce is removed from sale it is normally taken to bins outside the supermarket and is thus un refrigerated,(supermarkets do not have refrigeration space for OOD produce) this would accelerate any bacteria growth. Given that this product would now have to be collected and then re distributed which would take at least a couple of day's how can it be safe for consumption when it is deemed not to be to the paying public. It is either safe or not it cannot be both. If it is deemed for what ever reason to now be safe why wouldn't the supermarket extend the original shelf life of the product? They won't because it's bacteria tested, it's not just a finger in the air guess on how many day's shelf life are applied it's a controlled Legal level. Hence my "the law is the law" quote.
The nearest supermarket to us sells many outdated foods so can't imagine how old it is before that is taken off the shelves.
Well said 'Gleaner' and just to prove your point along comes 'oakley'.
Whatever the specifics the principle should surely be respected. All that food in waste bins en route to dumps is shameful. I have frequently eaten past due food - not because I am impoverished but because I have common sense.
Well done France (and the EU perhaps). Now if they could please reduce packaging as well they would make further giant strides.
Sorry to say but some are actually missing the points here
The new law states that supermarkets are not allowed to throw out food which is 'encore consommable' (still edible), nor is it legal to render edible food inedible on purpose so that you can throw it out. Therefore your question about food which has gone off is covered - they are not allowed to give away food which would be dangerous to eat.