Large French stores are now required to enter into contracts with charities and give them all expired goods.
A curious law was recently adopted by parliamentarians of the French Republic. Deputies have banned large stores from throwing away or destroying expired products.
Now supermarkets are obliged to donate all goods whose sales deadline has already passed to charity. For example, those who organize meals for poor and homeless people or animals
Interestingly, in addition to the humanitarian component, the new French law also has an environmental background: within 10 years, with the help of the measures taken, the country intends to halve the amount of food waste, the volume of which is growing year after year at an alarming rate.
Supermarkets are now prohibited not only from throwing away expired food, but also from deliberately spoiling it.
The innovation will only affect stores with a total area exceeding 400 square meters. Their administration will be required to sign appropriate agreements with charitable organizations. Those who do not do this and continue to dispose of the products will receive a fine of up to 75,000 euros or even up to 2 years in prison.
Of course, companies that own supermarkets actively criticize the law. According to them, large stores contribute only 5% of all food waste, but now they will be forced to bear additional costs.
Let us note that food disposal is a problem that concerns not only prosperous European countries, but also Russia. Some large retail chains in our country also destroy expired products under pressure. They justify their reluctance to give them to someone else due to fears for the health of consumers and possible abuses by employees who, under the guise of being overdue, will transfer fresh goods to third parties.
