“Doggy bags” are nothing new to diners in the US, but that isn’t the case in many other countries and in some, the idea that you would take home the leftovers from your restaurant meal would be shocking.
This has been the case until recently in one of the dining capitals of the world, Italy. This may be changing.
A bill to make doggy bags compulsory in Italy was filed by the Forza Italia (FI) party a few days ago.
“Doggy bags are a mark of positive civic sense and must be encouraged by all restaurants as part of the battle against food waste,” said FI.
Hospitality group FIPE welcomed the move and stressed the importance of “upping efforts to convince consumers about the bags’ utility”.
There are many reasons to take home your leftovers from a restaurant, but the two that are most important are reducing food waste and helping the environment by not throwing away perfectly good food. At a time when global shortages are becoming more alarming, this is no small thing.
In the US, even in the fanciest pizza restaurant, you never feel uncomfortable if you ask for a box to take your leftovers home. In Spain and Italy, people might take the bones from their meat to give to their dog (a real doggy bag), but culturally, it’s not the done thing. Also, there aren’t often many leftovers, as restaurant portions are sized to what people will actually eat and are rarely too big to finish unless you over-order.
With the new bill Forza Italia is hoping that the same positive attitude towards doggy bags will soon apply everywhere.
This is not the first time that the effort is being made, as already in 2016 a new law was introduced and the attempt to destigmatize the idea of a doggy bag was made by changing the wording. Rather than a reference to dogs, which may be off-putting to many, in Italy it’s called a “family bag.”
Apparently the 2016 law, which did not make the practice compulsory, did not do enough to change attitudes and practices and Forza Italia is trying again, as food waste now features prominently on global political agendas.
The new law takes stronger measures to stop waste, not only in the small way of a family dining in a restaurant, but in a much larger measure for companies wishing to donate wasted food.
The hope is that Italians will start to embrace a practice that still remains for far too many, a “social faux pas”.
