According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), approximately a third of the food available in the world today is either thrown away or gets spoiled. On a national level, 40% of food is wasted. Restaurants, other food service companies and hotels account for most of this lost and wasted food.
What is food waste?
Food waste refers to food that completes the food supply chain up to a final product, of good quality and fit for consumption, but still doesn’t get consumed because it is discarded, whether or not after it is left to spoil or expire.
Here are 5 ways to permanently cut down on your restaurant’s food waste:
- Carry out a food waste audit. Assign a team of responsible employees or external consultants to implement your food waste audit. One of the first qualifying aspects of your team members should be involvement in food preparation. At least one or more of your team members should have first-hand knowledge of inventory management and the quantities of each specific item used in preparing the food your restaurant serves.
- Track and analyze your restaurant food waste. Food waste can be separated into two classifications:
- Waste occurring in the preparation process – before your guests receive their food. This waste includes potato peels, leafy vegetable roots, bones, improperly prepared food and spills.
- Waste resulting from the food left behind after your guests finish eating – A major cause for this type of waste is due to restaurants offering promotions of extra-large food servings.
- Re-work portion sizes to reduce your restaurant food waste. To accomplish this, observe and note which menu items your guests are leaving uneaten most frequently. Then reduce the portion sizes of those menu times.
- Formulate rules and policies for your waste reduction program. The following two practices will help you permanently cut down on food waste:
- Proper storage of fruits and vegetables – Clean these items properly, then store them in appropriate containers with labels noting the name of the food item and the date of storage. This will extend the usability of your produce. Also, make sure to be aware of the optimum time between purchase and use for all your perishable food.
- Regular food rotation between your warehouse and refrigerator – Apply the FiFo Method (First-in, First-out). Arrange food by placing those that need to be used first in front. Another storage method is the “right to left” rule. If you use this method, you will always store the newest food to the right of your refrigerator or warehouse shelves. Then, as you add new food to your storage, move the older food to the left. So, when you take food out of storage to prepare it, you should always take the item that is farthest to the left.
- Recycle all appropriate food and materials. Some of your food scraps may be recyclable by way of composting. Recycling your food by composting can enhance soil and promote plant growth.
Have any useful tips? Feel free to share in the comments!
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