CONGRATULATIONS to the French. They have decided to outlaw supermarkets throwing out food, in an effort to combat the unacceptable level of food waste, a problem we share here. Here we have supermarkets every day putting vast quantities of still-0edible food in the bin because it has reached its “sell by” date. At one time, much of this food would have been donated on its last day of date to some good cause, but through fear of prosecution, this seems not to happen any more.

In addition, we have been conditioned to regard dates as absolutely definitive, meaning that something is fine to buy and eat at 11.45PM on the 1st but a danger to health at 00.05 on the 2nd. We seem to be unaware that these dates take into account all possible hazards that might shorten the item’s lifespan, simply as a precaution against poor storage, transport an so on. Anyway, what happened to the common-sense sniff and taste test?

But who do we blame for this situation? The EU, of course. Ask anyone in the street who is to blame and they will tell you “tt’s the EU, with its health and safety regulations”. So if that is true, how can France, an enthusiastic member of the EU, decide to ban the discard of food that has reached its date and expect it to go instead to good causes – to be eaten, no less?

It is time that we recognised that a great many of the “EU” regulations we object to are not the fault of the EU, but of Whitehall civil servants who interpret recommendations as compulsory laws – a great wheeze for keeping themselves in a job, drawing up the details of how the scheme will work, distributing the information and setting up the means and workforce to police it. Just as they did with the “directive” on changing pounds and ounces to kilos and so on, which saw some traders fined or even jailed. Yet not so long ago, we learned this was not compulsory, only a recommendation!

Let’s stop and think a bit more when we hear the EU blamed, identify the true culprit and learn instead to make the EU work for our benefit as the French do.

P Davidson,

Gartcows Road, Falkirk.