Supermarkets in France will soon be banned from destroying or discarding food approaching best-before dates under a new law that aims to tackle food waste and food shortages.
French supermarkets must donate their unused food to charities or for animal feed under the new legislation which has been passed following a unanimous vote by the French national assembly.
The move aims to address a desperate need for food from charities.
The laws will affect supermarkets 400 sqm and over, and these supermarkets will have to sign contracts with charities by July next year or face penalties including hefty fines or gaol.
In France, people often forage in supermarket bins at night, and some supermarkets destroyed their binned by dousing it in bleach in response.
The law will includes the introduction of an education program in schools and businesses about food waste, as part of a broader aim to halve the amount of food waste in France by 2025.
A local councillor from Paris, Arash Derambarsh, initiated the campaign against food waste and is calling for similar legislation to be introduced globally.
