The donation of unsold food that is still safe for eating plays a key role in the charitable redistribution of social resources in Singapore. Even before the coronavirus pandemic struck, there was a vulnerable segment of society that depended on access to free food to supplement its needs. Those needs could not but have been exacerbated by a disease that is eating into the fabric of economic life. More than ever, the less fortunate could benefit from the caring largesse of businesses that play the role of the Good Samaritan in contemporary society. However, there is a need to strike a balance between facilitating food donation and ensuring that food donors and food distributors exercise due care and practise good hygiene when distributing food. Guidelines exist on the proper handling and redistribution of unsold and excess food to address food safety concerns.
The possibility of a law that could allay business concerns about liability issues from the donation of unsold food would be a concrete contribution to achieving the balance between facilitating donations and the safety for recipients. The planned tabling of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act by MP Louis Ng, through a Private Member's Bill, would give legislative force to the maintenance of the balance. The issue draws attention also to the shameful waste of food - some 744,000 tonnes of food waste was generated last year.
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