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Customer in the supermarket: looking at the expiration date
Photo: Ute Grabowsky / Photothek via Getty Images
In order to reduce the unnecessary throwing away of a lot of food, Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir is calling for the abolition of the best-before date for long-life products.
In his opinion, these include, among other things, tea, rice or honey. In his opinion, it is "completely meaningless" that foods that have a shelf life for a long time are given such a date.
Özdemir sees the responsibility of the EU Commission to propose regulations for the European Union. "We need a binding list of exceptions for certain non-perishable products," the Green politician said on Monday ahead of a meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg.
According to the Commission, almost 59 million tonnes of food waste are generated annually in the EU – around 130 kilograms per capita.
zob/dpa