Paris (AFP)

Thirty players in the food industry signed a "pact" in Paris on Tuesday in which they pledge to fight against waste through better "management and understanding of consumption dates", according to a joint statement.

His goal? Let all the actors in the food chain sign it and commit to reducing food waste in turn, specify its first 38 signatories, gathered Tuesday evening during a ceremony at the Ministry of Ecological Transition.

Initiated by the anti-waste application "Too Good To Go", already at the origin of a "white paper" on expiration dates, the pact includes ten commitments "co-constructed, concrete and measurable".

They are based on four "pillars of action", detailed on the website www.pactedeconsommation.fr: "educate and raise awareness among all audiences", "clarify the difference between DLC (expiration date) and DDM (sustainability date) minimum) with consumers "," optimize the valuation of products excluded from sales channels "and finally" collaborate between players in the sector to harmonize good practices and optimize distribution flows ".

An opinion delivered by the European Commission in 2011 had estimated food waste in households at 20% due to a misunderstanding of consumption dates.

Among the first signatories are distributors (Carrefour, Casino, Auchan, System U) as well as manufacturers (Bel, Danone, Savencia), professional federations (Ania, FCD) or associations (Rural families).

Lucie Basch, the founder and president of "Too Good To Go, quoted in the press release, describes" an ambitious and measurable action plan ", allowing stakeholders to" commit themselves concretely to more responsible practices ".

It is an "opportunity for entities usually in strong competition to collaborate and exchange to collectively do better", because, according to her, "consumers today demand concrete action on this very essential subject, the ecology cannot be partisan ".

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