TOKYO: The agriculture and environment ministries Monday released a draft target of reducing Japan’s annual food loss at food-related businesses by 60 percent from the fiscal 2000 level by fiscal 2030.

To help meet the target, the government hopes to make it mandatory for food businesses to make efforts to change the widespread practice of rejecting foods and beverages unless there is a certain period remaining before the best-before date and to place orders for such products earlier.

Food loss happens at food-related businesses including food makers, retailers and restaurants, as well as at households.

The current target calls for halving annual food loss from the fiscal 2000 level to 2.73 million tons at businesses and to 2.16 million tons at households by fiscal 2030.

Since food loss at businesses outpaced the target and dropped to 2.36 million tons in fiscal 2022, the government hopes to set a new target of 2.19 million tons by fiscal 2030.

The loss at households in fiscal 2022 was 2.36 million tons, so the reduction target will remain unchanged.

The new target for businesses will be officially adopted within fiscal 2024 through March next year, after a public comment period.

JIJI Press