The word "loss of food" means foodstuffs which are thrown away although they can still be eaten.
Chain restaurants throw away about 12MT of foodstuff each year, this amount is six times as much as Tokyo Dome.
Using more familiar example, if you use bathtub(200 liter) everyday, it’s as much as bathtub of 165 years.

5~9 MT of that are thrown away even they can still be eaten.
In short, it is like a situation where there is a cup of rice, miso soup, and some side dishes, but we eat only side dished and throw away the cup of rice and the miso soup.

In fact, sometimes three fourth of thrown-away foodstuffs can be "food loss"

Meanwhile, WFP(UN World Food Program) puts food aid in execution to feed 6.5 MT to 80 countries in the world.
In fact,, an equal amount of food aid is thrown away before eaten.

Why does “food loss” boil up so much?
The main cause is said to be the misunderstanding between “a best-before date” and “a use-by date”.
Now, let’s review about “date marking” is.

Like this chart, if “a best-before date” has passed, the food doesn’t turn to be unable to be eaten quickly.
But we shouldn’t eat food whose “a best-before date” passed many moons ago.
The best is to eat before “a best-before date”.

And, a major cause for “food loss” is that stores have to throw away foodstuffs before “a best-before date” because of "the one-third rule".
The most important action to reduce “food loss” is to sell food without failing “the one-third rule”, and of course consumers’ cooperation is important.

＜Words＞

・WFP（UN World Food Program）
WFP is an organization of UN whose purpose is giving food aid, promoting the development of economy and society. Its headquarter is located in Rome in Italy.

・The one-third rule
The one-third rule is a rule if the third one of period from the date of manufacture to best-before date, it should be taken away from store.