The Congress has approved this Thursday the law against, which includes measures such as the obligation that bars and restaurants offer containers to take the leftovers, the requirement that supermarkets donate their surpluses, and the imposition that all the food chain companies have plans to prevent food from ending up in the garbage. The Loss Prevention Law and Food waste intends to reduce the global figure, which in 2023 stood in Spain by 1,214 million tons, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Agriculture. Meanwhile, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that some 1.3 billion tons are wasted in the world, about 30% of the foods that occur, with a high environmental cost.
The different employers and associations of the food chain agree that it is a pioneer law in a European country – although there is already one in Catalonia. “We see positive that the issue of food waste is harmonized. The law meets three objectives: the social, because it is avoided waste food; the environmental, s would be lost; and also the economic one, because producing to end in the garbage is to lose efficiency in management,” says Paloma Sánchez Pisho, director of competitiveness of the Spanish Federation of Food and Beverages Industries (FIAB). These are some of the legislative novelties.
Plans against waste in companies
One of the main novelties of the standard is that all companies in the food chain – production, transformation, food distribution, as well as – must develop loss and waste prevention plans. “These types of plans diagnose why waste is generated and seek technically, environmentally and economically viable alternatives to reduce them, with periodic monitoring measures. There are exceptions with small businesses,” explains Ignacio García Magarzo, general director of the Spanish Association of Distributors, Self -Services and Supermarkets (Asedas).
The priority: food donation
When food is discarded, the priority will always be human consumption, through the donation or redistribution of food to social entities. “The food and beverage industry has been making food donations for years, and this comes to harmonize what was already done,” says Sánchez, of (FIAB). The director of Asedas confirms it: “In practice it is already done, in most cases in which it is not donated it is because you cannot. We have 20,000 establishments in rural areas and there is usually more difficult.” The NGOs of the sector, on the other hand, point out that it is not always the case and that a lot of food ends in the trash. In any case, it now becomes a legal obligation. If it cannot be donated, the law asks for surpluses to animal feed, compost or biofuels, for which the collaboration of waste managers will be fundamental.
Containers for leftovers in bars and restaurants
Hospitality companies will have the obligation to facilitate the consumer that the foods that have not consumed reusable or recyclable containers can be taken. The service will be free, although if the containers are made of plastic, as indicated by the waste law. Emilio Gallego, general secretary of Hospitality of Spain, points out: “Most establishments already have some type of operation to offer this service, with bags, containers, aluminum foil … and we always suggest that the containers are recyclable and reusable.” Patricia Estanheiro Mota, director of Development of Hospitality Madrid, agrees: “This is not going to be a problem for small establishments, which can already offer half rations or other solutions so that food does not over. And if left over, almost everyone is sensitized.” In any case, now none can refuse.
Incentive for seasonal, ecological and “ugly” products
Within the recommendations, the law asks that they have lines of sale with “ugly”, “imperfect” or “little aesthetic” products, provided they comply with sanitary standards, as well as promote. Pauline Bonnier, spokesman for the La Osa cooperative supermarket, points out: “Cooperative supermarkets already prioritize these products and make consumers aware of consumers so that they know the origin, so that it is better for them and for producers. It is positive that this is extended” to the entire sector. The standard also asks for “expose in a visible place for consumers information on the security and benefits of products consumption with imperfections or imperfect.”
Discounts when expiration approaches
The legislation proposes to encourage the sale of products with the date of preferential consumption or next expiration. “This does not raise problems, most establishments already make liquidations at the end of the day by lowering prices to avoid waste,” says the director of Asedas. Bonnier, from the Osa, agrees: “When the fruit and vegetables begin to get ugly, we sell them to a euro the kilo, very cheap when they are ecological and proximity. And the bread of the previous day is maintained with a great discount.” Some large surfaces already have specific shelves for these products, something that is expected to be generalized.
SANCTIONS TO BREADFULS
The spirit of the law is, above all, to promote and promote the prevention and decrease in food waste, also includes sanctions, whose amount goes from 1,000 euros for mild up to 100,000 for serious. The food industry criticizes this aspect. “We prefer the incentives to the sanctions. However, the law gives flexibility to SMEs, so we believe there will be a very high compliance,” says Gallego, of hospitality in Spain. His homologous hosting Madrid Tercia: “Associations we will offer tools and solutions to restoration so that they focus on prevention and sanctions do not suppose a problem.”
National Plan against Waste
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, promoter of the regulations, must prepare a National Plan for the Control of Losses and Food Waste, which will contain general objectives and priorities for control tasks. The document will be made in consultation with other ministries and intends to be the road map to continue on the path of prevention. In any case, the department of Luis Planas already elaborates every year.
Pending challenges
“It is a pity that the law does not include measures for the consumer beyond training measures, because it is in homes where more food is wasted,” criticizes the director of Asedas. Raquel Díaz, director of the – who fights against waste – criticizes that in parliamentary processing so many exceptions have been incorporated into the obligations with which it is not clear who will have to fulfill the law. “The rule that stayed in the drawer in the previous legislature was much more ambitious,” he summarizes. On the other hand, the amendment has been rejected that considered that agricultural surpluses should be automatically converted into waste, so the donation of fruits and vegetables is still favoring and the spike, that is, the binding of foods that can be used for human consumption.
