The French parliament has approved legislation to ban supermarkets from destroying unsold food and forcing them instead to give it to charity.
Unsold but edible food will be devoted to charity or for use as animal feed or compost.
France is on a campaign to halve the amount of food waste by 2025. Official estimates point to the average French person throwing out 20-30kg of food a year, at a national cost of up to €20bn.
The law explicitly bans the practice of supermarkets deliberately spoiling unsold food so it cannot be eaten.
Larger supermarkets (those with a footprint of 400+ sq m) will have to agree formal contracts with charities by July next year. The penalty includes fines of up to €75,000 or two years in jail.
The law also aims to reduce waste in school cafeterias through a programme of education about food waste in schools and businesses. It follows a measure in February to remove the best-before date on fresh foods.
The amendment on food waste approved by the national assembly, the lower house of parliament, is part of a larger environmental bill. The whole bill is still under discussion, and will need final approval from the senate.
