France becomes the first to tackle food waste

French legislation has come into effect making it illegal for supermarkets to destroy any food which is approaching its best-before date.

Instead, the supermarkets will have to give it away to charities and action groups.

Stores larger than 400 sq m (4,305 sq ft) are now obliged to make donation agreements with charities. Fines up to €75,000 may be imposed for any company in breach of the new law.

Previously, supermarkets would not only discard food but douse it with bleach to ensure that no one could consume it.

France has become the first country in the world to take such action and pressure will be on other European countries to do the same in order to reduce the outrageous waste in the food industry.

The World Food Programme says that between 30% and 50% of all the food produced goes to waste. It also says that the world’s population is set to reach 9 billion by 2050.

Jacques Bailet from Banques Alimentaires, a network of Food banks, said: "The next step is to ask the president, François Hollande, to put pressure on Jean-Claude Juncker and to extend this law to the whole of the EU.

"This battle is only just beginning. We now have to fight food waste in restaurants, bakeries, school canteens and company canteens."

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