KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27: Malaysians waste some 17,000 tonnes of food daily, and this problem needs the country needs to urgently introduce a Food Waste Reduction Act, says the Alliance for a Safe Community chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
He said that the alarming scale of food waste in Malaysia placed the country as one of the largest contributors to food waste in the region, and according to recent studies, Malaysians wasted approximately 16,688 tonnes of food daily, which was enough to feed millions of people.
“This waste includes edible food discarded by households, restaurants, supermarkets, and food manufacturers
“Shockingly, nearly 60 per cent of this waste is avoidable, meaning it consists of food that could have been consumed if managed properly,” he said today.
Lee said food waste should not be seen merely as a moral concern, but as a serious environmental and economic crisis, as wasted food also meant wasted resources such as water, energy, land and labour.
To address the issue, Lee called for the introduction of the Food Waste Reduction Act that would set clear reduction targets, mandate reporting for businesses, and provide guidelines for food donation and recycling, alongside penalties for excessive waste and incentives for sustainable practices.
- BERNAMA