Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    • August 2025
    • 2025 Poultry Health supplement
    • July 2025
    • 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    • October 2023
    • Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    • September 2023
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
  • FREE Email Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
Twitter LinkedIn
Podcast
Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    1. August 2025
    2. 2025 Poultry Health supplement
    3. July 2025
    4. 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    5. June 2025
    6. 2025 Innovation supplement
    7. May 2025
    8. April 2025
    9. March 2025
    10. 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    11. February 2025
    12. January 2025
    13. December 2024
    14. November 2024
    15. October 2024
    16. September 2024
    17. 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    18. August 2024
    19. 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    20. July 2024
    21. 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    22. June 2024
    23. 2024 Innovation supplement
    24. Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    25. May 2024
    26. April 2024
    27. March 2024
    28. February 2024
    29. January 2024
    30. December 2023
    31. November 2023
    32. Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    33. October 2023
    34. Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    35. September 2023
    Featured

    Poultry Business – August 2025 issue out now

    By Chloe RyanAugust 13, 2025
    Recent

    Poultry Business – August 2025 issue out now

    August 13, 2025

    2025 Poultry Health supplement out now

    August 13, 2025

    Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

    July 1, 2025
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
Poultry News
News

Europe’s food waste is ‘a scandal’, says EFSA chief

Chloe RyanBy Chloe RyanJune 25, 20192 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Europe’s high levels of food waste are an ethical scandal at a time when hundreds of millions of people around the world are going hungry, the head of the region’s food safety watchdog said on Friday.

European Union lawmakers have campaigned to slash food waste in the bloc, which currently throws away 88 million tonnes of food a year at a cost of 143 billion euros ($162 billion), according to the European Commission.

“I think it’s a scandal, ethically speaking, to waste such an amount of food … theoretically, 100 million people could potentially have the calories that we throw away,” Bernhard Url told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Url, a veterinarian who has headed the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) since 2014, said the growing gap between food production and consumption had contributed to the high levels of waste of between 20% and 30%.

“The food production systems are so complex, spanning global supply chains, that people don’t know where the stuff comes from, who is processing it, what is really in there. So there’s a bit of distrust,” he said.

Earlier this month, more than 100 of the biggest players in food, including all of the UK’s major supermarkets, have signed a pledge to take ground-breaking action to drive down food waste following a call to action from the government.

Big-hitters from the world of food and sustainability including Aldi, Asda, Caffé Nero, Co-op, Costa Coffee, FDF, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Starbucks, Tesco, M&S, Morrisons, Nestlé, Ocado, UKHospitality, Unilever, World Wildlife Fund for Nature and Waitrose have signed a pledge committing to help halve food waste by 2030 and raise public awareness of the issue through a week of action.

Currently in the UK an estimated 10.2 million tonnes of food and drink are wasted annually after leaving the farm gate, worth around £20 billion. It is estimated that UK householders spend £15 billion every year on food that could have been eaten but ends up being thrown away, equating to £500 a year for the average household.

Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Previous ArticleAvara Foods welcomes public on to chicken and turkey farms
Next Article Home Secretary asks independent migration experts to advise on future salary thresholds
Chloe Ryan

Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent the past decade writing about the food industry from farming, through manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking and reading biographies are her favourite hobbies.

Read Similar Stories

Genetics

New pedigree breeding facility for Hendrix Genetics

September 4, 20251 Min Read
News

Chicken price rises fuels meat and poultry inflation in August

September 2, 20253 Mins Read
New Products

New egg brand from Chippindale Foods

September 2, 20251 Min Read
Latest News

New pedigree breeding facility for Hendrix Genetics

September 4, 2025

Environment Agency refuses Cranswick permit for Norfolk farm redevelopment

September 3, 2025

NFU survey reveals ageing UK poultry housing

September 3, 2025
Sponsored Content

How can UK farmers make poultry profitable without losing welfare?

September 1, 2025

Precision Nutrition: A global approach to reducing broiler feed cost.

August 1, 2025
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

  • Farmers Weekly
  • AA Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • Pig World

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.