France to force big supermarkets to give away unsold food to charity

[n2doc]

France’s parliament has pledged to crack down on a national epidemic of food waste by passing a law banning supermarkets destroying unsold food, instead obliging them to give it to charities or put it to other uses such as animal feed.

The national assembly voted unanimously on Thursday evening in favour of the measure, proposed by the Socialist deputy Guillaume Garot, a former food minister. “It’s scandalous to see bleach being poured into supermarket dustbins along with edible foods,” he said.

The new law explicitly bans the practice of supermarkets deliberately spoiling unsold food so it cannot be eaten. Bigger supermarkets – those with a footprint of 400 sq m or more – will be obliged to sign formal contracts with charities over the new measures by July next year, or face penalties including fines of up to €75,000 (£53,000) or two years in jail.

The measures are part of wider official efforts to halve the amount of food waste in the country by 2025. According to official estimates, the average French person throws out between 20-30kg of food a year, at a combined national cost of up to €20bn.

more
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/22/france-to-force-big-supermarkets-to-give-away-unsold-food-to-charity

[In_The_Wind]

1. America should do the same.

[Recursion]

2. USDA supports gleaning programs that distribute about 500 tons of food every year

They partner with most grocers, and WalMart and Kroger specifically have their own gleaning programs in most states they operate in that distributes to local food banks.

http://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/resources/donations.htm

[In_The_Wind]

3. When I worked as a food broker out of date food was tossed in the trash.

As a manager for a Carvel store I delivered unsold ice cream cakes to our local food bank.

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. Here in my town Wal-Mart gives pet food to Animal Control.

Any dented cans or torn bags of pet food are given to animal Control, and in turn they give it to people who need help with pet food bills.

Dunno what stores here do with people food tho. The churches handle the charity work in most areas.

[daleanime]

11. Several 5 gallon buckets of food waste a day,,,,,

from a single restaurant while I was working.

We need to start having proper disposal off food waste period.

[Romeo.lima333]

15. how did u find this , if you dont mind my asking

[Recursion]

16. I did food and hunger policy for a few years

At a minor k street think tank and lobby. The only real success I contributed to was getting farmers markets to accept SNAP, but it taught me a lot about food in the US...

[Romeo.lima333]

17. thanks,the reason i ask is that i saw this and thought i would have never been able to find this

website and this info. i mean i know how to do a simple google search but ... well anyway thanks for taking the time to reply

[Paper Roses]

4. I've seen this waste in my area. I asked the produce clerk at my local market:

Why is this food not given to food pantries, homeless shelters or farms?
Answer:
Health laws.

If this is the case, the laws should be changed. Too much of our bounty goes into landfill.

Such a waste!

[mac56]

6. There are a number of laws in place in this country

that provide liability protection to food donors.

http://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/resources/donations.htm

[Romeo.lima333]

8. how did u find this?

[mac56]

13. It was posted upthread.

[Romeo.lima333]

14. oh ok i see it

[Adrahil]

5. We need to do this.

I read that something like 40% of the food in this country goes to waste. That's a moral crime.

[pinboy3niner]

7. French frees

About time!

[Dont call me Shirley]

9. Wonderful practice, France. Now if the us chains would be forced to do that; they would demand

an inequitably large tax credit for it though.

[Overseas]

12. K&R. Glad to hear it.