Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir wants to make the so-called container of food exempt from punishment. "Anyone who wants to save food that is still edible from waste containers should not be prosecuted. I think we all want our police and courts to take care of criminals instead," said the Green politician to "Welt" (Monday) .

In Germany, far too much food ended up in the trash, he lamented. This is a total of around eleven million tons a year - and more than half in private households. "Therefore there is no single solution to solve the problem of food waste in one fell swoop. We therefore have to look pragmatically at where we can start," he continued.

"Containers" means getting food that is still edible, for example, from supermarket rubbish bins. It may be a criminal offense under current law.