Japan's health ministry has made public a draft guideline for customers at restaurants to take home leftovers in a hygienic manner. The move is part of efforts to cut food loss.

Officials disclosed the draft on the matter during a meeting on Wednesday.

The amount of food loss in Japan is estimated at 4.72 million tons in fiscal 2022. Half of it, or 2.36 million tons, is from businesses, mainly leftovers at restaurants and unsold items at shops.

The draft guideline states that basically, customers can take food home and take responsibility for it. It calls on consumers to use disposable gloves or sanitize their hands when moving leftovers into containers.

It proposes fluid should be drained from food as much as possible, and containers that allow more temperature control should be used. The guideline also states that basically, the person who leaves food unfinished at the restaurant should consume it.

The draft calls on businesses to provide disinfectant or disposable gloves to customers if necessary and to keep clean containers for leftovers. It also urges businesses to determine which dishes can be taken home, such as those that have been sufficiently heated.

Participants at the meeting also discussed whether consumers should be allowed to use their own containers. One of them said the measure should be avoided due to hygiene concerns.

The ministry plans to finalize the guideline by the end of this year and implement it from next fiscal year, which starts in April.