BEIJING: Banquets have been made a focus in a recently released draft guideline for curbing food waste, Xinhua quoted a China Daily report on Monday.
The draft, currently soliciting public input, is the latest in a series of efforts by the Chinese government to promote a more sustainable approach to food consumption and encourage responsible practices in the restaurant industry.
The draft contains eight categories of measures. They include the clear indication of prices and weight, reducing waste at banquets, perfecting the evaluation system for dining establishments and improving industry self-regulation.
The draft requires that restaurants take steps to reduce food waste at banquets. Restaurants must clearly mark the price of each dish in banquet packages and discount information if applicable. Catering companies hosting banquets are required to include policies aimed at reducing food waste in their contracts.
Restaurants are also required to eliminate minimum spending requirements and indicate the number of diners that each package is designed for. They are also urged to provide free containers for taking leftovers away.
The draft calls for increased monitoring of large-scale banquets, particularly those offered by hotels and those that charge more than 1,500 yuan (about US$220) for each table, excluding drinks. Authorities shall conduct random inspections to ensure that the protocols are being followed, according to the draft. – BERNAMA-XINHUA
