MPs vote to ban supermarket waste

FRENCH MPs have unanimously voted to ban supermarkets from destroying food that is still fit for consumption.

The anti-wastage amendment was approved in the National Assembly last night as part of a broader law on energy and the environment.

Some stores at present are throwing food away and then pouring bleach in the bin to make the contents unfit for consumption.

Supermarkets and hypermarkets larger than 400m² will be required to team up with a charitable association and donate food once it is taken off the shelves, or offer it for composting.

The average person in France throws away between 20 and 30kg of food per year, with a value of up to €20billion.

The head of the French federation for commerce and distribution, Jacques Creyssel, said it was a mistake for the law to only target big stores, which he said represent 5% of total food waste.

He said hypermarkets were among the biggest donors to food banks and 4,500 stores already had agreements in place with charities.