Food Waste Processing Fees in Taiwan May Double Next Year; Caterers Urge Decoupling of Lunch and Disposal Costs

Taiwan's efforts to enhance biosecurity, particularly in light of the African swine fever concerns, are poised to significantly impact the cost of managing food waste. Starting next year, the practice of feeding food scraps to pigs will be completely phased out. This transition, while crucial for disease prevention, is expected to drive up the costs associated with food waste processing, with projections indicating a potential doubling of current fees.

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As the demand far exceeds supply, it can be expected that the transportation and processing fees for food waste will increase next year, possibly even doubling.

This impending cost increase presents a challenge for various sectors, including school lunch providers. The Chinese Taipei Catering Business Association is advocating for a separation of school lunch fees from waste disposal costs. Their concern is that as waste disposal expenses rise, schools might be forced to cut corners on the quality of ingredients to stay within budget, especially as many counties are implementing free school lunch programs.

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If the transportation and processing fees rise to NT$4, while the current school lunch fee is set at NT$2 per student, it is likely that ingredient costs will be squeezed.

Furthermore, the association points to the issue of food waste generation within schools. Current nutritional guidelines often mandate a certain number of dishes and soup, and coupled with short lunch periods, students frequently leave food uneaten. The association suggests that revising menu designs, perhaps by decoupling from the strict National Health Department guidelines and looking at models like Japan's school lunches, could help reduce waste at the source. This multifaceted approach aims to address both the rising costs of waste management and the reduction of food waste itself, ensuring that students continue to receive nutritious meals.

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The menu design for school lunches should be decoupled from the National Health Department's National Nutrition and Health Guidelines, and there is no need to mandate four dishes and one soup.