Italy adopts new law to slash food waste

Now businesses will be able to record donations in one simple form every month.

They won’t face sanctions for giving away food past its sell-by date, and will pay less waste tax the more they give away.

Farmers will be able to give away unsold produce to charities without incurring costs.

The agricultural ministry will spend €1m researching innovative ways to package foods in transit to prevent spoilage and extend shelf life, and a public information campaign aiming to reduce food wastage will be rolled out.

But it is perhaps the drive to promote “family bags” which has attracted most interest from ordinary diners, and which will require the biggest cultural shift.