New law against food waste about to enter into force 

The countdown begins for the law against food waste. 

The main supermarket chains in our country have been implementing these principles for some time now, applying measures such as discounts on products nearing their expiry dates. Many restaurants are also adopting anti-waste strategies, offering uneaten food to their customers.  

Although food waste is present at all stages of the food chain, from production to consumption, it is in the home where it is most evident: Spaniards will waste a total of 1,183.42 million kilos/litres of food and drink in 2023, +1.1% more than in the previous year.  

Christmas is the most wasteful time of the year: up to 20% of what we buy ends up in the rubbish, mainly due to buying more food than necessary, as well as overcooking food. 

5 actions against food wastage  

  • Plan menus carefully by checking the ingredients already available and drawing up a shopping list according to the number of meals and diners. Buy only what you really need, sticking to the list and not making impulse purchases, preferably choosing local and seasonal products.   
  • Preserve products properly, according to the needs of each food, taking the opportunity to order and check the food, checking the best-before and best-before dates be careful because these are very different limitations, the latter can be consumed with the date already expired.   
  • Serve small meals, especially to children.   
  • Reuse leftovers, if they are produced, for the next meal or preparation, always respecting their hygiene, recovering the traditional recipe book and recipes for making the most of them as a tool against waste.  
  • Freezing is an excellent option for extending the life of food, and it is very important to label it with its name and date. 

At the Silestone Institute, we support initiatives and measures against food waste across the entire food chain. In addition to providing practical advice for reducing waste, we offer an online tool (IRDA) to assess the risk of food waste in the home.