France becomes first country to ban supermarket food waste

By MiNDFOOD

France becomes first country to ban supermarket food waste

France has become the first country worldwide to ban supermarkets from destroying unsold food, forcing them instead to donate it to charities and food banks.

The law, passed unanimously by the French senate, came into effect on Wednesday and will mean supermarkets will no longer be able to throw out good quality food approaching its best-before date.

Charities will be the main benefactor of the law meaning they will be able to give out many millions more free meals each year. Foodbanks are expected to have to take on many more volunteers as well as finding extra space and vehicles to transport the food.

Supermarkets will also be banned from deliberately spoiling food in their shop bins. Previously supermarkets doused binned food in bleach while some discarded food in locked warehouses for collection by refuse trucks.

According to The Guardian the law came about after a significant campaign in the country by shoppers opposed to waste and anti-poverty campaigners.
Campaigners now hope to persuade the entire European Union to adopt similar legislation.

 

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