Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 22. Title: Anti-food waste is going to be legislated. What should we pay attention to when we go to restaurants in the future?

　　Xinhua News Agency reporters Bai Yang and Ren Qinqin

　　Speaking of ostentation at the dining table...In recent years, the issue of food waste has aroused widespread concern in society.

On the 22nd, the draft anti-food waste law was submitted to the 24th meeting of the 13th National People's Congress for deliberation, and established a system for the treatment of "waste on the tongue".

　　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 transformed the effective policy measures that have been practiced in my country in recent years into legal provisions, clarifying the responsibilities of relevant entities, and helping to establish a long-term mechanism. Give full play to the guiding and standardizing role of the law to establish the basic code of conduct for catering consumption and daily food consumption for the whole society.

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 according to its functional purpose.

So, are the commercial marketing activities carried out by some businesses with "biggest cake" and "biggest hot pot" as gimmicks, and artistic creation activities that use food as raw materials, are they food waste?

　　Li Rui, director of the Research Center for Local Finance and Rural Rule of 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 various links and fields. Unnecessary loss.

"However, it should also be considered that in addition to food and drinking functions, food can also be used as a vehicle for artistic expression and creation. I think that as long as it is not ultimately "discarded", it should not be included in the category of "waste"." She said.

　　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 merchants may not work anymore

　　The menu does not indicate the size of the dishes, and the waiter is vague when asking the waiter; the food ordered is too large, and the merchant does not remind or even deliberately mislead the consumers... The draft clarifies the corresponding measures for the "routines" of these catering service providers.

　　For example, post or display anti-food waste signs in conspicuous locations or prompt instructions by service personnel to guide consumers to order appropriate meals as needed; provide small meals and other different specifications.

　　The draft stipulates that if the 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 more than RMB 10,000 and less than RMB 10,000.

The food and catering industries should strengthen industry self-discipline, formulate and implement anti-food waste and other relevant group standards and industry self-discipline norms in accordance with the law.

　　Li Rui said that catering waste occupies a large proportion in all aspects of food waste. 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. The role of waste.

　　Wang Jingbo believes that catering service providers are profit-driven as market entities. On the one hand, legislation should set clear mandatory standards for the specifications of small meals and the setting of logo reminders as the basis for supervision and punishment; Inducing and misleading behaviors that are more difficult to judge, the definition criteria should be further improved to make law enforcement easier.

Food waste disposal fees may be charged

　　Ordered a table of dishes and left more than half, but dumped them all?

This situation should be paid attention to in the future.

The draft anti-food waste law stipulates that catering service providers can charge consumers who cause obvious waste to deal with food waste.

　　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, need to be further refined.

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

In the early stage, it is more appropriate to adopt incentive measures, such as stipulating that catering service providers can give appropriate rewards to consumers who realize the "CD"; the next step is to reform the garbage disposal fee measurement standard, from the "quota system" to the "quantity system". "Waste disposal allows garbage producers to "pay" for their own garbage; when conditions are ripe in the future, consider gradually advancing the food waste disposal fee system in public areas such as catering.

　　"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." Li Rui said.

　Merchants may use big data to analyze consumer dining needs

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

The draft stipulates that catering service providers can use big data and other technologies to analyze and judge consumers' dining needs, and through measures such as building or sharing central kitchens and distribution centers, scientific management of food procurement, transportation, and storage can prevent and reduce waste.

　　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.

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 consumer personal information.

　　Li Rui suggested that businesses should be strictly restricted from providing information to third parties, and consumer personal information should be anonymized.

For illegal catering service providers, strict penalties should be imposed.