What’s new: China’s national legislature has passed a food waste bill that will fine violators up to 100,000 yuan, according to state media reports.
During a Thursday session, the top decision-making body of China’s national legislature approved the bill, which will come into force after publication of the text. A date for the release of the text has not been specified.
The bill states that restaurants will be fined up to 10,000 yuan for “inducing or misadvising” customers to order excessive amounts of food, producers will face a charge of up to 50,000 yuan for wasting food, and internet users could be fined up to 100,000 yuan for posting binge eating videos online, China’s national broadcaster CCTV reported.
The background: The National People’s Congress Standing Committee begun drafting the law to stop food-wastage in October last year, following President Xi Jinping’s “clean plate” campaign launched in August in response to long-term food security concerns.
North China’s Hebei province passed last year the first local regulation against food waste that “set a national benchmark,” according to a statement (link in Chinese) released by a research arm of the Hebei provincial legislature on Friday.
Contact reporter Lu Zhenhua (zhenhualu@caixin.com) and editor Heather Mowbray (heathermowbray@caixin.com)
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