'No binge-eating videos': China's new anti-food waste law limits restaurant orders

China has passed an anti-food waste law that bans diners at restaurants from ordering more meals than required and also prohibits citizens from sharing and filming videos of binge-eating. The law, which came into effect last week, was part of a nationwide anti-food waste campaign that gained momentum after Chinese President Xi Jinping called food wastage a “distressing” problem that threatened China’s food security.

While China is not facing imminent food shortages, Xi launched a food-saving campaign in August, saying that the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call that the country needs to secure its food supply. According to the United Nations’ World Food Programme, the supply chain disruptions during the pandemic has pushed tens of millions of people to the brink of starvation.

Local authorities in China have come up with various measures to enforce the new legislation. Culinary industry groups have started promoting “N-1” meals, which means the number of dishes should be less than the number of guests while some restaurants have pledged to offer small-portion options. In a bizarre move, one restaurant in the central city of Changsha even placed a scale at the entrance to give food recommendations based on the customers’ weight.

Crackdown on binge-eating videos

Popular binge-eating videos from social media sites like Douyin have also been removed by the Censors. The government has also suspended a popular boy group contest that has asked its viewers to buy milk products to support their favourite contestants. Some of the drinks bought for the contest were reportedly poured down the drain. About 35 million tons of food goes to waste in China every year, according to local media.

As per the new law, restaurants could be fined up to $1,550 for promoting excessive eating. TV stations and online media companies could face a fine of upto $16,000 if they were caught making or displaying binge-eating videos.

 Some internet users have questioned whether the anti-food waste law is going overboard and infringing people’s freedom on their most basic form of enjoyment.