Anti-food waste is about to be legislated. What should we pay attention to when we go to restaurants?

Speaking of pomp and lavishness at the table.

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 has raised the effective policy measures in practice in China in recent years to legal provisions, clarifying the responsibilities of all relevant entities, and helping to establish a long-term mechanism.

How to determine the standard of food waste?

Yuan Jie introduced that the draft anti-food waste law takes the catering link as the entry point, focusing on food consumption, anti-waste in the sales link, promoting conservation, and strict control

The draft clearly states that food waste refers to the failure to use food that is safe to eat or drink in accordance with its functional purpose

Li Rui, director of the Research Center for Local Finance and Rural Law of China University of Political Science and Law, said that the original intention of the legislation stipulated here is to ensure that the value and utility of food are fully displayed, and to reduce food production, processing, circulation, and consumption in all links and fields.

Wang Jingbo, vice president of the University of International Business and Economics and secretary-general of the Administrative Law Research Institute of the Chinese Law Society, also stated that no matter how the above activities extend or surpass the function of food itself, it cannot go against the purpose of anti-food waste

These ordering "routines" of the merchant may not work anymore

The menu does not indicate the size of the dishes, and the waiter is vague; the food ordered is too large, and the merchants do not remind or even deliberately mislead consumers.

For example, post or display anti-food waste signs in eye-catching locations or prompt instructions by service personnel to guide consumers to order the right amount of meals according to their needs; provide small meals and other options of different specifications

The draft stipulates that if a catering service provider induces or misleads consumers to order excessive meals and causes obvious waste, the market supervision and management department of the local people's government at or above the county level or the competent commerce department shall order corrections and give warnings; if they refuse to make corrections, they shall be fined 1,000 A fine of not less than RMB 10,000 and not more than RMB 10,000

Li Rui said that catering waste occupies a large proportion in all aspects of food waste, and these measures in the draft have good operability in setting the obligations and responsibilities of catering service providers, and can restrict food to a certain extent.

Wang Jingbo believes that catering service providers are profit-driven as market entities.

Food waste disposal fees may be charged for food waste

Ordered a table of dishes and left half of them, but dumped them all? This situation should be paid attention to in the future

Wang Jingbo said that the collection of food waste disposal fees is a means to curb consumer waste, but in actual operation, questions such as whether to collect a fixed amount or a fixed amount, and whether to divide a tiered quota, etc.

Li Rui suggested that food waste on the consumer side should follow the principle of step-by-step and prudent advancement

"At the legislative level, it is necessary to clearly define the conditions and standards for the collection of food waste disposal fees, and pay attention to protecting the rights and interests of consumers

Merchants may use big data to analyze consumer dining needs

In recent years, big data technology has been widely used in the catering industry

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

Wang Jingbo believes that allowing businesses to use big data to analyze and judge consumers' dining needs requires adequate information security measures as a supporting package, such as removing and masking some sensitive information
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The design of the system should be further clarified that businesses must not collect sensitive personal information and are responsible for the safety and protection of consumers' personal information
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Li Rui suggested that businesses should be strictly restricted from providing information to third parties, and consumers’ personal information should be anonymized
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For illegal catering service providers, strict penalties should be imposed
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(Xinhua News Agency reporters Bai Yang and Ren Qinqin)