A petition, signed by nearly 15,000 people, asked for supermarkets to be banned from throwing away edible food, instead saying it should be donated.
The petition said: “Everyday, UK supermarkets throw away tonnes of edible food while millions of people rely on food banks to survive.
“We believe this is wrong, and that food that is safe to eat should not end up in bins when many families, pensioners, and workers are going hungry.
“We call for the Government to ban all supermarkets from throwing away all edible food, and require them to donate any surplus food that is edible and is approaching the best-before-date or with minor imperfections to be donated to food banks and local charities.
“Ending food waste could reduce hunger, cut environmental damage, and show real social responsibility.
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“No one should go hungry while good food is thrown away.”
Responding to the call, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said that “nobody wants to see good food go to waste”, especially when UK households are “facing pressures from the cost of living”.
The response added: “The government’s Food and Drink Waste Hierarchy sets out how businesses should manage surplus food and waste. The priority is to prevent food waste occurring in the first place.
“Where surplus food does arise, businesses are expected to prioritise the safe and speedy redistribution of edible food to people in need before considering lower-value options.
“Food businesses, including supermarkets, are responsible for maintaining appropriate food safety standards and infrastructure.
“Where food can no longer be guaranteed as safe for consumption, it cannot legally be redistributed and must be managed appropriately in accordance with food safety requirements.
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“However, where food remains safe and suitable for people to eat, we expect businesses to follow the hierarchy and make every effort to ensure it is used rather than wasted.
“On May 13, the government reinforced its commitment to supporting those who need it most with the previous Prime Minister announcing a ‘new national programme to redistribute surplus food’.
“Defra is driving action through a range of activities, including working across government and with stakeholders to develop a national endeavour to end avoidable food waste, operating across the entire food supply chain and redistribution sector.”
