Industry News - AM

Legislator to tackle food waste with new bill


By Rita Jane Gabbett on 10/22/2015

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Me.) announced she would introduce comprehensive legislation this fall to attack the problem of wasted food.

"About 40 percent of the food in the U.S. is wasted. That costs us money, is bad for the environment, and means people are going hungry when perfectly good food is ending up in a landfill," Pingree said.

Pingree’s proposed legislation would address wasted food at four levels: 1) in stores and restaurants, 2) in institutions such as schools, 3) at the consumer level and 4) on the farm.

At the consumer level, one of the provisions of the bill will seek to reform the way "sell by" or "best by" dates are used on products.

"A lot of people mistakenly think there is some sort of government standard for ‘best by’ dates and that you have to throw out food once the date has passed," Pingree said. "The truth is that it’s the manufacturer who comes up with those dates and much of the time the food is perfectly safe to eat well after the date has passed." One provision she is considering is a requirement that manufacturers print a disclaimer below the sell-by date, stating that it is only a recommendation and the food can still be safe to eat after that date.

Pingree's bill would also contain provisions that support:

  • Ad campaign funds to educate consumers about food waste
  • Tax credits to make it easier for farmers and retailers to donate "ugly" or non-standard products
  • Reforms of procurement policies for school lunch programs to help them buy those kinds of fruits and vegetables.

With 50 million Americans food insecure, Pingree says reducing food waste could make a big difference to them.

"If we reduce food waste by just 15 percent, we would be able to adequately feed 25 million hungry Americans," Pingree said.

Pingree announced the bill Wednesday at The New York Times' Food for Tomorrow conference in Pocantico, N.Y.


 
Loading Comments