Anti food waste legislation is needed. What should we pay attention to when we "go out" in the future?

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 22, talking about ostentation and being more extravagant at the table... In recent years, the problem of food waste has aroused widespread concern in the society. On the 22nd, the draft anti food waste law was submitted to the 24th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress for deliberation to establish rules and regulations for the control of "waste on the tip of the tongue".

Yuan Jie, director of the Administrative Law Office of the Legislative Affairs Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said that the formulation of the anti food waste law would raise the effective policy measures in China's practice in recent years to legal provisions, clarify the responsibilities of all relevant subjects, help to establish a long-term mechanism, give play to the role of law in guiding and regulating food consumption Basic code of conduct for daily food consumption.

How to determine the standard of food waste?

Yuan Jie introduced that the draft anti food waste law focuses on food consumption, anti waste in sales, saving and strict control, with catering as the starting point.

The draft clearly states that food waste means that food that can be safely eaten or drunk is not used according to its functional purpose. So, are the commercial marketing activities carried out by some businesses with the gimmicks of "the biggest cake" and "the biggest hot pot", as well as the artistic creation activities carried out with food as raw materials, food waste?

Li Rui, director of the Research Center for Local Finance and Rural Rule of Law of China University of Political Science and Law, said that the purpose of the legislation here is to ensure that the value and utility of food can be fully exerted, and reduce unnecessary losses in various links and fields such as food production, processing, circulation and consumption. "However, it should also be taken into account that food, in addition to its edible and drinking functions, can also be used as a carrier for artistic expression and creation. I believe that as long as it is not ultimately 'discarded', it should not be included in the category of 'waste'," she said.

Wang Jingbo, vice president of the University of International Business and Economics and secretary-general of the Administrative Law Research Association of the China Law Society, also said that no matter how the above activities extend and surpass the function of food itself, they should not fundamentally violate the theme of anti food waste.

These order "routines" of the merchants may not work

The menu does not prompt the quantity and specification of the dishes, and the waiter is vague when asked; The order is excessive, and the merchants do not remind or even intentionally mislead consumers... The draft clarifies the corresponding measures for the "routine" of these catering service providers.

For example, anti food waste signs shall be posted or placed in conspicuous places or the service personnel shall give instructions to guide consumers to order food appropriately as needed; Provide small meals and other different specifications.

According to the draft, if catering service providers induce or mislead consumers to order excessive meals and cause obvious waste, the market supervision and administration department or the competent commercial department of the local people's government at or above the county level shall order them to correct and give them a warning; Those who refuse to make corrections shall be fined not less than 1000 yuan but not more than 10000 yuan. The food and catering industry should strengthen industry self-discipline, formulate and implement relevant group standards and industry self-discipline norms such as anti food waste according to law.

Li Rui said that catering waste accounts for a large proportion in all aspects of food waste. These measures in the draft have good operability in setting the obligations and responsibilities of catering service providers, and can play a role in restricting food waste to a certain extent.

Wang Jingbo believes that catering service providers, as market subjects, are driven by interests. On the one hand, legislation should set clear mandatory standards for the specification of small meals, the setting of logo reminders, etc., as the basis for supervision and punishment; On the other hand, we should further improve the definition standards for the behaviors that are difficult to judge, such as the inducement and misleading of businesses, to make law enforcement easier.

Waste of ordering food or kitchen waste disposal fee will be charged

After ordering a table of dishes, most of them are left, but all of them are dumped? Attention should be paid to this situation in the future. The draft anti food waste law stipulates that catering service providers can charge consumers who cause obvious waste corresponding fees for handling kitchen waste.

Wang Jingbo said that collecting kitchen waste treatment fees is a means to curb consumer waste, but in practice, it is still necessary to further refine the issues such as quantitative collection or quota collection, and whether it is necessary to divide the ladder quota.

Li Rui suggested that the problem of food waste at the consumer end should follow the principle of prudent promotion step by step. Incentives should be adopted at the initial stage, such as stipulating that catering service providers can give appropriate rewards to consumers who have achieved "CD"; The next step is to reform the measurement standard of garbage treatment fees, from "quota system" to "quantity system", so that garbage producers can "pay" for their own garbage; When the future conditions are ripe, consider gradually promoting the charging system for food waste treatment in catering and other public areas.

"At the legislative level, it is necessary to clearly define the collection conditions and standards of kitchen waste disposal fees, and pay attention to protecting consumers' rights and interests," Li Rui said.

Businesses may use big data to analyze consumers' dining needs

In recent years, big data technology has been widely used in the catering industry. The draft stipulates that catering service providers can use big data and other technologies to analyze and judge consumers' dining needs, and conduct scientific management of food procurement, transportation, storage, etc. by building or sharing central kitchens, distribution centers and other measures to prevent and reduce waste.

However, while big data technology brings convenience to people's ordering, will it bring risks of personal information disclosure?

Wang Jingbo believes that allowing businesses to use big data analysis to study and judge consumers' dining needs needs to have adequate information security measures as a support, such as removing and masking some sensitive information. The system design should further clarify that businesses are not allowed to collect sensitive personal information and are responsible for protecting consumers' personal information security.

Li Rui suggested that businesses should be strictly restricted from providing information to third parties, and consumers' personal information should be treated anonymously. The catering service providers who violate the regulations shall be strictly punished.