BEIJING (CHINA) – Staff at the popular Peking roast duck restaurant chain Quanjude in the Chinese capital have been passing a message to diners: Please do not order more than what you can eat.
It is the latest food outlet to join a campaign to curb wastage of food. It began across the country after Chinese President Xi Jinping said last week that such practices were “shameful” while the country was fighting a pandemic.
While local governments and catering associations have been urging restaurants to serve smaller portions, some eateries have come out with penalties for wasting food. One outlet has even gone to the extent of weighing diners to decide how much they can order. However, they were forced to rescind the decision after coming under fire.
“We reacted proactively,” said Wang Xiaoshan, the general manager of the Quanjude outlet in Beijing’s Qianmen district.
Quanjude is known for the thin crispy slivers of roast duck served in a pancake wrap. Servers tell customers to place orders based on the number of guests even suggesting to order one dish less than the total number. They also ask them to pack up any leftovers to bring home.
“We’re lucky we have enough food, and we shouldn’t waste it,” said a diner named Liu. “I’m very supportive of this call.”
According to state media, China’s catering industry wastes between 17 to 18 million tonnes of food a year, which is enough to feed 30 to 50 million people.
The “Clear Your Plate” drive comes after concerns of food security because of the supply chain disruption due to the virus.
Authorities also warned celebrities who used to eat large amounts of food and livestream it to followers against encouraging food wastage on platforms such as Kuaishou and Douyin. They could face a ban or be penalised.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field