French MPs vote to force supermarkets to give away unsold food

Anti-food waste proposal, described as 'a crucial measure for the planet', passed unanimously in the Assembli(C)e Nationale

French MPs have voted unanimously to force supermarkets to give away unsold food that has reached its sell-by date. Shops will also be banned from destroying food products, as they have in the past - sometimes by soaking them in bleach - to prevent them being distributed.

The proposal was passed as part of another law in May but was subsequently annulled by France's constitutional court because of procedural faults.