For many students and financially stretched individuals who rely on recovered food to supplement their meals, the news is a welcome relief.
However, representatives from the country’s food industry express skepticism, arguing that current laws already provide leniency for minor offences, making the proposed changes redundant. In addition, they voiced concerns about potential health hazards and liability issues associated with consuming discarded food.
Despite the food industry only accounting for 7 percent of total food waste, critics argue that the proposal does little to address the larger issue of reducing food waste. The German government’s objective is to halve national food waste by 2030, partly through increasing donations to food banks.
