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Countdown to Spain´s Food Waste Act

The fight against food waste is about to take a crucial step with the imminent approval of the Law on the Prevention of Food Loss and Waste in Spain.

The text has already been submitted to the Senate by the Congress of Deputies and is in its final phase of processing, with key dates that mark the path to its entry into force: the deadline for amendments and veto proposals ends on 7 February, and 26 March is the deadline for processing in the Senate. From the publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE), supermarkets and other actors in the large-scale food distribution sector will have one year to adapt to the new obligations.

An important law that has supermarkets as a key player

In Spain, 25 million kilograms of food are wasted weekly, of which more than 80% are unused products, according to data extracted from the foundations of the Law. These worrying figures were the driving force behind the legislation that sets specific objectives: reducing per capita waste at retail and consumer level by 50% by 2030, and food losses during production by 20%.

Supermarkets are key players in achieving these goals because they are located at a strategic point in the food chain, connecting producers and consumers. By managing large volumes of food, they have the capacity to generate a significant impact on reducing waste, both in the management of their own surpluses and in raising awareness among employees and customers.

For this reason, the law establishes a series of responsibilities for supermarkets. One of the most important, detailed in Article 6, indicates that those establishments in the food chain with a surface area of more than 1,300 m² will be obliged to sign donation agreements with social entities, guaranteeing that food that cannot be sold, but is still fit for consumption, is destined for those who need it most.

They should also promote the sale of products with imperfections or those close to their best-before date, and encourage sustainable practices that reduce waste at the source.

Restaurants must also play a part

Restaurants and other food outlets will also have to adapt to the changes, ensuring, as much as possible, that no food goes to waste, and that customers are able to take their uneaten food home.

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21 expensive cars that were stolen in the U.S. were found Valencia port

Together with the US Container Security Initiative, the Guardia Civil and the Tax Agency found 21 high-end cars that were stolen in the U.S. and were on their way to Africa in the port of Valencia. The cars, which were worth a total of €1.1 million, were reported stolen and were being moved in containers.

The cars were stolen in the U.S. and were on their way to different places in Africa, stopping in Valencia’s port. Risk analysis units made up of Guardia Civil and Tax Agency officers were able to find several packages that might not have had the goods that were claimed to have been inside.

With the help of the information gathered, it was confirmed that stolen cars that had been in Valencia on their way to the United States had actually arrived. The groups that ship stolen cars either traded legally declared cars for stolen ones or directly declared the stolen cars as other goods, like furniture or mattresses.

In the past few weeks, 21 vehicles have been found and will be sent back to their home countries to be given to their original owners.

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14 immigrants were saved on a boat 45 miles off the coast of Alicante

On Wednesday, 2nd April, the Maritime Rescue ship Salvamar Leo saved 14 immigrants who were travelling in a boat about 45 miles from Alicante.

In the middle of the afternoon on Wednesday, Maritime Rescue sent out its Helimer 223 helicopter and the Salvamar Leo, which is based in Alicante, to save the people on a small boat.

Their journey began on the Salvamar Leo, which took them to the Temporary Assistance Centre for Foreigners in the port of Alicante. There, the Red Cross took care of them.

The Red Cross says that all of the refugees they saved were men, and two of them were younger than 15 years old. They were all healthy after being treated.

The National Police took over the refugees after getting help from the Red Cross. They are now trying to find the boat’s captain so they can arrest him, as is normal in these situations.

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Dénia wrestler arrested in connection with a network that smuggled 300 kilos of cocaine from Ecuador

The National Police’s Drugs and Organised Crime Unit arrested a famous mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Dénia. He was part of a gang that was partly broken up in August over a shipment of 300 kg of cocaine from Ecuador that came into the port of Valencia. The fighter from Dénia is one of five people who were caught by police. Along with nine other gang members who were already in jail at the time, they are now in jail.

The man who was arrested in Dénia is thought to be the trusted man of the gang’s leader, who is also an MMA fighter, and the person who is said to have worked as a go-between in the operation.

Levante-EMV also says that the broken-down network is linked to another shipment of 490 kg of cocaine that came into the port of Valencia in April of last year.

The five people who were just caught went before Valencia’s Investigative Court No. 20 yesterday, April 3rd.