Date Published: 23/11/2021
ARCHIVED - Supermarkets in Spain can now sell damaged goods
Food containing defects that don’t affect safety will be promoted in stores throughout Spain
![<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Supermarkets in Spain can now sell damaged goods](https://murciatoday.com//images/articles/21/11/1685957__11637660319_large.png)
In an attempt to cut down on the huge amount of food waste produced in Spain each year, the Ministry of Consumption has decreed that supermarkets that choose to do so may continue to sell products that present defects in shape, size, labelling and packaging, as long as this doesn’t affect the safety of the food item and customers are fully informed. The only exception is canned goods which show signs of bulging, as the experts agree that “this defect may indicate a food safety problem”.
Another major change in the law is that bars and restaurants serving food must now offer customers the option to take home their leftovers at no additional cost. Establishments will provide reusable, compostable of easily recyclable containers for this purpose, or customers also have the option of bringing their own packaging.
In the rest of the sector, retailers must accept reusable containers provided by customers themselves when buying food items. If it is the store that dispenses food products in glass, metal or ceramic containers, these can be reused provided that the retailer has the equipment to properly clean and sterilise them.
Spain has now become the third country in Europe to legislate on this issue, after Italy and France. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, 40% of the food that is wasted in this country comes from homes.
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