Beijing mulls new law to curb food wastage

BEIJING -- The Chinese capital Beijing has drafted a new law calling on eateries to deploy persuaders cautioning against extravagant dining and food waste.

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. 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 UN Food and Agriculture Organization report.

In China, about 17 million tonnes of food was estimated to be frittered away on the dining tables of restaurants in the cities each year, enough to feed some 30 million to 50 million people.