Congresswoman renews campaign to take on food waste

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree is renewing her efforts to reduce food waste with federal legislation.

Pingree, a Democrat, is an advocate for making food donation easier and cutting down on the amount of food that gets thrown out.

She is a co-sponsor of The Food Donation Act of 2017, which was introduced on Feb. 7. The bill seeks to modernize food donation rules by expanding liability protections for food donors.

Pingree also plans to reintroduce a pair of other food waste bills in the coming weeks. One would address food waste using tools like tax credits, research and a public awareness campaign. The other would standardize date labeling on food by distinguishing between quality and safety date labels.