Comment on "Scientist wants food waste criminalized" (China Daily, Jan 25)

As a scientist who has worked on food production in the arid regions of the United States, I am shocked to see the amount of food being wasted at dinners in China. On my first visit to China in 1977, I could not even buy snacks in Nanjing Road in Shanghai without a food ration coupon. The extent to which China has changed since then is unbelievable.

Today tons of food is wasted on dinner tables. The "culture" of ordering excess food in China is nothing but a cheap attempt to impress guests at dinner, which has to change.

B.S. Goh, on China Daily website

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(China Daily 02/07/2013 page9)