Japan's CAA holds free food-donation guideline briefing on Nov 26
On November 12, 2026, Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency announced a briefing session on its Food Donation Guidelines, to be held on November 26. It runs on-site and online via Zoom webinar, and attendance is free. It targets businesses that already donate food or are considering it, so restaurants and food shops thinking about donating surplus food can use it to learn the basics.
Key points
- Date: Thursday, November 26, 2026, 14:00–17:10, at Tokyo International Forum (Glass Building G610), also streamed by Zoom webinar
- Capacity: 72 on-site and 1,000 online; free of charge. Registration closes Wednesday, November 25 at 12:00
- Session 1 (14:00–14:40) is for food donors: an explanation of the guidelines, case studies and Q&A. Sessions 2–4 are aimed mainly at food pantries, children's cafeterias and local governments
Background
The Food Donation Guidelines ("Towards Greater Reliability of Food Donation") were drawn up on December 25, 2024, with the aim of raising public trust in food donation and encouraging it.
This briefing also has sessions for the receiving side, such as food pantries, children's cafeterias and local governments. Each session has a main audience, but participants can attend any of them.
What it means for shops
For restaurants, food retailers and manufacturers considering donating surplus food, this is an official chance to confirm how the guidelines think about donation and what to watch for. Note that this is an invitation to a briefing, not an announcement of new obligations or rule changes. Materials are scheduled to be posted on the agency's website on the day.
What shops should do
- Check internally whether your shop or company has surplus food that could be donated
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Summaries are written by Seiichi Studio based on the original releases. Always check the source for the exact details.