I sometimes go to a carvery restaurant and one of the chefs there gives me the wings of the turkey to take home as a treat for  the dogs. This week there was a different chef on and I asked him if I could take the wings for my dogs and said I couldn't have them. When I asked why not he called the manager over who said that I couldn't have them as there was a law against it. When I said thought that was unlikely he then changed his mind and said it was because if I gave the bones to my dogs and they hurt themselves on them then I would sue the restaurant.

This sounds pretty stupid to me. Does anyone k now if there really are laws to stop restaurants giving away scraps?  Also i don't see how I could sue the restaurant if I give the dogs the bones? i don't think I will be going there again

I know there was a change in the law quite a few years back which effected the collection of food scraps form restaurants by pig farmers, and they can no long do it.  I have no idea how all encompassing that reguolation is, but perhaps that is the one they are thinking of?  Of course, there is also a whole slew of regulations governing the disposal of waste products from commercial premises.

DEFRA ban feeding food to livestock if it has been in a human kitchen.  You could check it out on the DEFRA website. 

It is most certainly against the law to feed things to pigs (potato peelings, lettuce, veg, etc.)  Anything that has been in your kitchen.  People can be prosecuted for it.  Yet, if you grow lettuce in your garden, and feed it direct to your pig, without it coming in the house, then that's ok.

I have ask for bones/scraps from various supermarkets (the usual chains) and they have replied in a similar way adding that I might use them for myself to eat and then sue if me or my dogs became ill or injured themselves eating the bones and that there was a helth and safety issue !

Couldn't decide if they were fobbing me off or what I was talking to the butcher not the resturant.  

when i worked in catering, insurance was always the issue. even stopped the staff taking stuff home.

It sounds about right, supermarkets throw so much food away even when it is still ok, because someone could sue if they became ill. I think (correct me if wrong) that even staff can't take a lot of things home either now. So I guess someone could sue if they gave to a dog and it died or needed an operation. It's a sue mad world and health and safety is often boardering on the ridiculous. We are doing all this re-cycling but there must be so much food thrown away due to EU rules and health and safety, could probably feed all the homeless and dogs 10 times over.

I have been refused by a resturant for a 'doggy bag' request as there is no guarantee that the food is for dogs and if I reheated it and turned ill by not doing so properly, I may try and sue the hotel for giving me the food.
When I challenged this I was told it was new legislation (this was about 3 years ago) and couldn't be done.

[url=]have been refused by a resturant for a 'doggy bag' request as there is no guarantee that the food is for dogs and if I reheated it and turned ill by not doing so properly, I may try and sue the hotel for giving me the food.
When I challenged this I was told it was new legislation (this was about 3 years ago) and couldn't be done. [/url]

yep, health and safety , strikes again.

They don't  allow it , because  of above, if you reheat and eat the food, they may be libel.