British Lawmakers Tiptoe Toward Food Waste Legislation

A U.K. Parliament panel is receiving advice and comments about how to deal legislatively with Great Britain’s food waste problem. Food industry sectors, including farmers and consumer groups, have submitted comments to the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee. France, Italy, and Denmark all have laws targeting food waste on the books. The Labor Party last year scrapped plans to include a ban on food waste in its manifesto after Conservatives claimed that such a ban would cost £477 million ($621 million). Eight million tons of food are wasted post-manufacture in the U.K. annually. Experts suggest sixty percent of the waste could be avoided, equivalent to £16 billion ($21 billion) in food a year.