Italy is on course to becoming the second country in Europe to legislate against food waste which is estimated to be worth some €12 billion every year.
At present, shops, bars, restaurants or food companies who pass on excess food to charities must declare their donations in advance.
The new law, which needs final approval by the Italian Senate, would set the requirement at only one monthly declaration for all the donations made.
The streamlined process should see edible foods move more quickly to charities and cut down on the country’s beloved red tape.
Businesses making food donations will be given reductions in certain taxes in line with the volume donated.
Last year, French laws made it mandatory to donate excess food backed up by steep fines of up to €75,000 for failure to do so. Italian lawmakers have chosen a different path, but one which they believe will encourage donations, with the aim of doubling the amount of food saved.
“We are making it more convenient for companies to donate than to waste,” said Italy's Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina, adding that “we currently recover 550 million tonnes of excess food each year but we want to arrive at one billion in 2016.”
The government has earmarked €1 million to develop better food packaging and a further €1 million to promote the use of doggy bags in restaurants, a cultural taboo in a land where one in four Italians still think taking leftovers home is a sign of poverty, bad manners and even vulgarity.
