The Seven-Eleven convenience store chain will disregard a food rule in Japan to sell short-dated instant noodles that would otherwise be wasted. It will suspend the “one-third rule”, which requires food producers to deliver products during the first third of time between production and expiry dates. Processed food products worth $56.2 billion yenm were returned to makers, and likely discarded, under this rule in 2017, despite around 70% still being edible. Seven-Eleven is responsible for around 15% of cup noodle sales in Japan. A 2016 report estimated Japan’s annual food waste at 133 kg per capita.
The Seven-Eleven convenience store chain will disregard a food rule in Japan to sell short-dated instant noodles that would otherwise be wasted. It will suspend the “one-third rule”, which requires food producers to deliver products during the first third of time between production and expiry dates. Processed food products worth $507m were returned to makers, and likely discarded, under this rule in 2017, despite around 70% still being edible. Seven-Eleven is responsible for around 15% of cup noodle sales in Japan. A 2016 report estimated Japan’s annual food waste at 133 kg per capita.