A law could be passed in Singapore that could allay business concerns about liability issues from the donation of unsold food.
Mr Louis Ng, an MP for Nee Soon GRC and chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee on Sustainability and the Environment, plans to table the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act through a Private Member’s Bill.
Food waste is a major waste stream, he said, and channelling food still safe for consumption to beneficiaries is a win-win situation.
Figures from the National Environment Agency (NEA) show that Singapore generated 744,000 tonnes of food waste last year (2019).
Asked why food waste was an issue he decided to raise, Mr Ng recounted his experience at a buffet line with his family last year.
A staff member had brought a cake out when replenishing the dessert platter near closing time, only to later throw almost the entire cake away – just one slice had been taken – after the line was closed.
He has also come across food businesses, such as bakeries, that throw out unsold food at the end of the day. He cited a concern over donation raised by one: “The food donated may be safe for consumption, but it is harder to determine when the beneficiaries will consume the food or how they store it.”
Mr Ng said he has set up a committee with members from supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and charities. The first meeting was held last week and a series of public consultations will be launched soon.
Liability concerns were also raised by food businesses during NEA’s engagement with them, said the agency’s spokesman.
Guidelines on the proper handling and redistribution of unsold and excess food to address food safety concerns has since been incorporated in Food Waste Minimisation Guidebooks, which are available online.
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Source: The Straits Times, 15 September 2020