New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI): The Food Ministry is scheduled to hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss steps for reducing food wastage at weddings and social gatherings.

"The issue of food wastage and ostentatious behaviour has been the subject of discussion in recent times. The Food and Consumer Affairs Minister would be taking a meeting on April 18 to discuss the steps that could be taken to counter these trends," a senior Food Ministry official said.

The Consumer Affairs Ministry has initiated a consultation with noted farm scientist M S Swaminathan and several civil societies to suggest ways to reduce the wastage of food items at big events, the official said.

Besides Swaminathan, Rajya Sabha member Rajiv Shukla would also be attending the meeting, the official added.

Terming the food wastage at social gatherings as "criminal act", Food Minister K V Thomas had recently said the government could bring a new law in this regard and also launch an awareness campaign to curb this.

There are reports that food wastage is to the extent of 15-20 per cent, he had said, adding that the government will also look into the Guest Control Order of the 1960s, which limits number of guests at marriages and other events.

The need of the hour is to stop such kind of wastage because there are still some percentage of population who get only one time meal, the minister had said.

The UPA government is also in the process of bringing a National Food Security Act to ensure legal entitlement of highly subsidised foodgrains to the poor.