EU food waste plan backed by food firms

The new resolution, which was adopted on Thursday (January 20), is also designed to improve the efficiency of food supply and consumption chains in each sector of the industry.

The plans have been welcomed by manufacturers, who said they were pleased Parliament was making steps to tackle “a key issue​”.

Finding solutions to food wastage was a major priority for the food and drink industry, European food manufacturers association FoodDrinkEurope said in a statement.

Raw materials​

“The resources and sustainability measures put into the production of food, such as the raw materials, water and fuels, are also wasted when food is wasted, for example, in households. “​

“Our members welcome the report’s recognition of manufacturers’ efforts to minimise waste. Practices have been put in place to minimise waste and better use raw materials, for example, by using parts that do not go into the main food product​.”

FoodDrinkEurope also said it was pleased to see the call for a harmonised implementation of the definition of by-products across Member States.

This would provide certainty to manufacturers and facilitate future investment, the statement revealed.

If nothing is done to tackle the issues, food waste is expected to grow by 40% by 2020, a study by the commission revealed.

The EU parliament, In an attempt to “drastically​” reduce food wastage by 2025, has recommended that new awareness campaigns should be run at both EU and national levels to inform the public how to avoid wasting food.

EU member states​

It has been suggested that EU member states introduce school and further education courses on how to store, cook and dispose of food.

Food firms have also welcomed recommendations for the introduction of dual-date labelling to prevent retailers from selling food too close to its expiry date.

FoodDrinkEurope said: “Our members welcome the acknowledgement of the role that packaging can play in preventing food waste and the need for clarification on date labels to help raise consumer awareness and knowledge. ​

“However, in order to compare data and design food waste policy measures across EU Member States, food manufacturers believe that efforts to improve the consistency of reporting on the figures and waste categories used by some Member States could have been highlighted​. “

To promote the idea of using food sustainably, MEP’s have urged the European Commission to designate 2014 as “European year against food waste​.”