Beijing mulls new law to curb food wastage

Beijing: Beijing has drafted a new law calling on eateries to deploy people who will warn customers against extravagant dining and food wastage.

The person tasked with this unique responsibility will remind diners to pack leftovers and caution against placing excessive orders, according to the draft law on curbing food waste deliberated Friday by the city's legislature.

The draft law also requires catering service providers to sell dishes of smaller portions, which are popular among single or couple diners, reports Xinhua news agency.

It stipulates that offenders may face warnings or fines of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,537).

Since 2012, the Chinese government has been highlighting the issue of food waste, rolling out mitigation policies and a nationwide "Clear Your Plates" campaign to curb the social phenomenon.

Roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, which amounts to about 1.3 billion tonnes per year, according to a Food and Agriculture Organization report.

In China, about 17 million tonnes of food was estimated to be wasted each year, enough to feed some 30 million to 50 million people.