<\/p>\n
\n A petition, signed by nearly 15,000 people, asked for supermarkets to be banned from throwing away edible food, instead saying it should be donated.\n<\/p>\n
\n The petition said: \u201cEveryday, UK supermarkets throw away tonnes of edible food while millions of people rely on food banks to survive.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe believe this is wrong, and that food that is safe to eat should not end up in bins when many families, pensioners, and workers are going hungry.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe call for the Government to ban all supermarkets from throwing away all edible food, and require them to donate any surplus food that is edible and is approaching the best-before-date or with minor imperfections to be donated to food banks and local charities.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cEnding food waste could reduce hunger, cut environmental damage, and show real social responsibility.\n<\/p>\n
UK supermarket rankings in 2026<\/p>\n
\n \u201cNo one should go hungry while good food is thrown away.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Responding to the call, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said that \u201cnobody wants to see good food go to waste\u201d, especially when UK households are \u201cfacing pressures from the cost of living\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n The response added: \u201cThe government’s Food and Drink Waste Hierarchy sets out how businesses should manage surplus food and waste. The priority is to prevent food waste occurring in the first place.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWhere surplus food does arise, businesses are expected to prioritise the safe and speedy redistribution of edible food to people in need before considering lower-value options.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cFood businesses, including supermarkets, are responsible for maintaining appropriate food safety standards and infrastructure.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWhere food can no longer be guaranteed as safe for consumption, it cannot legally be redistributed and must be managed appropriately in accordance with food safety requirements.\n<\/p>\n
Recommended Reading:<\/p>\n
\n \u201cHowever, where food remains safe and suitable for people to eat, we expect businesses to follow the hierarchy and make every effort to ensure it is used rather than wasted.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cOn May 13, the government reinforced its commitment to supporting those who need it most with the previous Prime Minister announcing a \u2018new national programme to redistribute surplus food\u2019.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cDefra is driving action through a range of activities, including working across government and with stakeholders to develop a national endeavour to end avoidable food waste, operating across the entire food supply chain and redistribution sector.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
#Government #responds #calls #change #supermarkets<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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