Pigs Get Food Waste from Maine Schools

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A new law in Maine that says schools can give food waste away to pig farmers has taken effect.

The practice of feeding human food waste to pigs goes back millennia, but some school districts in Maine have expressed confusion in recent years about the rules.

The Maine Legislature passed a clarifying bill, and it took effect Sept. 19.

Supporters of the new rules say they'll help school districts cut down on food waste.

They state any individual or institution, including a school, can donate garbage to a swine producer for use as feed even if they're unaware of the producer's licensure status.

Republican state Sen. Stacey Guerin says the rule change makes sense because schools aren't responsible for monitoring hog farms.