The goal is to encourage consumers to avoid buying unnecessary food by helping them see the losses involved.

The bubble era is long gone, the days of conspicuous waste (recall one year old TV sets on big gomi days) need to be moved away from.

Mottainnai, conserve.

People need an app for that? I guess I'm still analog enough to remember the food I throw away after not eating it; which is seldom because I can also see the food in my fridge or cupboard.

People need an app for that?

That was my first thought. I personally don't need an app. I have ....................... eyes.

And there's very little wasting in my home.

The focus really needs to be on restaurants that premake food then dump the left overs.

Grocers who toss out "imperfect" or "odd shaped" vegetables and the leaner cuts of meat.

Conbini who toss out "expired" bento and food.

With the economy I hardly think any poor or middleclass folk are wasting anything.

the government will develop a smartphone app that tells taxpayers how much money they wasted on hare-brained schemes

That's better.

Better go after the hotels and their banquet services, who waste an inordinate amount of food on buffets. Although they are not doing much now, the buckets of uneaten food after conferences, dinners and parties that cannot be donated is staggering.