Japan Govt Certifies Food Banks for 1st Time

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency said Tuesday that it has certified four food banks, which collect surplus food from companies and others for free supply to organizations working to support people in need.

It is the first time that food banks have been recognized under the country's certification scheme launched by the government in April.

The four are Second Harvest Japan in Tokyo, Food Bank Yamanashi in the city of Minami Alps in the central prefecture of Yamanashi, Food Bank Kansai in Kobe, the capital of the western prefecture of Hyogo, and Food Bank Fukuoka in the city of Fukuoka, the capital of the namesake prefecture in southwestern Japan.

In Japan's food industry, there is a business practice called the "one-third rule," in which food makers are required to deliver products to stores before more than one-third of the period from the production to the best-before dates passes.

This rule has been cited as one of the factors behind food loss in the country.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]