The purpose of this Washington, D.C. legal guide is to answer some of the most common legal
questions raised by businesses, schools, charities, and other stakeholders regarding food donation
and food recovery in the District of Columbia. This guide describes what both Washington, D.C.
and the federal government are currently doing to address the problem of food waste. It covers
D.C. and federal laws and regulations relating to tax incentives incentivizing food donation, liability
protections for food donors, date labeling requirements for food packages, food safety guidance for
food donations, and the donation of excess food by K-12 schools.
This guide was comissioned by the DC Food Recovery Working Group and written by the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic.
