Crackdown on food wastage

NEW measures have been launched against food wastage, including scrapping the ‘best before date’ and a promise by supermarkets not to destroy edible food.

Ecology Minister Ségolène Royal says she wants “immediate application” of a measure listed in the new Energy Transition law which bans ‘best before’ dates because people confuse them with ‘use by’ ones.

‘Best before’ (in French date limite d’utilisation optimale) is used on certain non-perishable products like sugar or vinegar, but there is no health risk associated with eating them after it, unlike with ‘use by’ dates (date limite de consommation.

This comes as Ms Royal has also obtained a pledge by leading supermarket groups that they would no longer destroy unsold edible food – by means such as pouring bleach over it – and will set up schemes to donate it to charities.

The measure had been included in the recent law but was removed on a technicality by the Conseil Constitutionnel.

All large (more than 400 square metres) stores will sign agreements with charities, promised Carrefour, Leclerc, Intermarché, Auchan, Casino, Simply Market, Cora, Aldi and Monoprix.

There will be no fines for not doing this, as had been planned in the law. However Ms Royal said there would be a review in three months’ time to see if the firms were doing as promised. She said the measure would be made a legal obligation if they were not.

In parallel, public establishments like schools, hospitals and retirement homes are being given one year to put in place plans for avoiding food waste.

Photo: Chat_44