Curbing food waste implemented during CPC meeting
China Daily
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Curbing food waste and promoting thrift -- as a requirement raised by the central leadership -- has been strictly implemented during the Fifth Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, with full use of food ingredients and diversified sizes of dishes.

Jingxi Hotel, as a service provider for the meeting, which was held from Oct 26-29 in Beijing, took a leading role in resolutely carrying out the recent call by President Xi Jinping to end food waste and promote thrift.

The hotel picked seasonal vegetables as major food sources when cooking home-style dishes for meeting participants to control the meal expenses within a reasonable limit, and also strived to make full use of every part of the ingredients in its cooking.

For example, "roots of Chinese cabbages and corianders as well as radish peels have become delicious salted or pickled dishes after being processed," a chef in the hotel told China Central Television.

Workers for the reception and kitchen, meanwhile, shared information about the number of diners at any time to prevent leftovers by providing smaller but more frequent meals.

Additionally, the hotel offered large and small sizes of dishes, including steamed buns and noodles, for the meeting's attendees.

Wu Yaqin, a participant from Jilin province, welcomed the moves. "Women sometimes had difficulty finishing a big bowl of noodles, so the smaller one was just right for us," she was quoted by CCTV.

Solidifying the frugality into work systems and making it become a habit was not only the central and State organs' move to strictly implement the requirement raised by President Xi to end food loss and promote the thrift, but also to set an example to the entire Party and the public.

Calling the issue of food waste shocking and distressing, Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in August reiterated the need for greater awareness of the risks posed to the country's food security and demanded resolute efforts to combat waste.

Since then, a campaign against food waste has been implemented in canteens of every central and State organ.

Xie Chuntao, vice-president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said the central and State organs have improved in dining, providing a good example to the entire Party and society.

In this year, the quantity of food materials purchased by the State organs' canteens has generally declined, with a more than 10 percent drop in kitchen waste and about a one-third decrease in food waste, according to CCTV.

Besides State organs, some restaurants and the public have also taken action to support and carry out the central leadership's requirement through various means.

In Shenzhen, Guangdong province, for instance, six KFC outlets recently unveiled a pilot charity program called "Food Bank" that gives unsold food to people in need for free. The food is stored in freezers and put into small bags with labels stating the product name, storage date and processing guidelines.

Besides, "Clear Your Plate", a national campaign against wasting food, continues to gain steam online. Social media users, especially young people, have been invited to share photos or videos of empty plates on Sina Weibo, a popular social media platform, after finishing their meals.

Cao Yin contributed to this story.