The SAVE FOOD Congress, which will take place at Interpack on May 4th 2017, comes just as the European Union tackles new proposals for tackling food waste in Europe.

This month (April 11th 2017), Environment MEPs posed their thoughts on possible measures for cutting the 88 million tonnes the 28 member states produce in food waste annually.

Delegates called on the European Commission to take steps including lifting existing restrictions on food donations and impressed the need for re-labelling foods to avoid confusion between 'best before' and 'use by' dates.

These measures are being put forward to tackle where food waste is most prevalent, at the end of the supply chain where products are distributed and acquired for consumption.

Croatian MEP Biljana Borzan's report on the matter recommends a coordinated policy response on "labelling, liability ad education" due to the fact more consumers cannot distinguish between 'best before' and 'use by'.

MEPs are calling on EU member states to achieve food waste cuts of 30 per cent by 2025, accelerating this to 50 per cent by 2030. In order to achieve this, the European Commission will have to assess the possibilities of the benefits of removing some of this date information from packaging, while ensuring consumer and environmental health is protected.

"My report calls for a coordinated policy response on labelling, liability and education, as most consumers do not understand the precise meaning of 'best before' and 'use by' labelling," she said. "Moreover, we should address the shortcomings of existing EU legislation where it hinders food donations. We need to update our common VAT system to allow for tax exemptions. A form of 'good Samaritan' legislation at EU level could lead to greater volumes of food being donated and reducing food being wasted, without compromising current standards of food safety."

The Commission has also been requested to propose a change in the VAT directive that authorises tax exemptions on food donations, with the EU Find for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) financing the cost of collection, transporting, storing and distributing food donations.

The MEPs' report was adopted unanimously and will be put to a vote by the House in the May plenary in Strasbourg a week after SAVE FOOD 2017, which will bring together the world's food processing stakeholders and decision-makers in a crucial discussion ground to help ensure minimum food waste on an international level using the most advanced technologies available.