3 Ways to Help Reduce Food Waste in a Restaurant

Food loss or waste refers to any edible food that is discarded or not consumed during the restaurant’s operations. This waste can occur at various stages of the food preparation and may include the serving process, food preparation, cooking, plate waste and/or unsold items. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) defines food waste as “food appropriate for human consumption being discarded, whether it’s kept beyond its expiry date or left to spoil”, and has calculated that about one-third of all the food produced worldwide is wasted.

Food waste in restaurants contributes to environmental degradation through greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing organic matter in landfills, as well as the wasted resources used in food production. Operating sustainably and ethically is a social obligation for restaurants. Wasting food contradicts this duty, as it adds to larger societal problems including hunger, poverty, and environmental harm. Besides, it also represents a loss of resources and money for the restaurant.

When we talk about food waste within the restaurant industry we might just think about our own business’ loss, but it has become a much more serious problem worldwide. There are studies that calculate that about 80 billion pounds (40 million tons) of food across the supply chain is spoiled and wasted every year in the United States, and about 25 billion pounds in Canada. As much as 40% of that comes from the food industry, such as grocery stores, food service companies and of course, restaurants.

3 Actionable recommendations to help reduce food waste in your restaurant:

1. Proper Food Storage and Inventory Control — This is crucial for maintaining food safety, preserving quality, and minimizing waste.

• Label and date all food items with its contents and date of preparation/expiration. We suggest you use the FIFO technique or “First in, First out”: Make sure that when you receive fresh ingredients, they’re placed behind the older ones to ensure those will be used before they spoil and are used before they become waste.
• Ensure that refrigerators and freezers are set at the appropriate temperatures to keep perishable foods safe. Refrigerators should be set at or below 40°F (4°C), while freezers should be set at 0°F (-18°C).
• Have proper shelving units to store food off the floor on shelving or racks to prevent contamination. Make sure they’re easy to clean and sanitize regularly to prevent build up of bacteria.

2. Menu Design & Portion Calculation

We may encounter dish waste at different stages before or after serving a plate. Pre-consumer waste encompasses all the food lost before it is even served to guests, and Post-consumer includes food uneaten by the guest or any food returned to the kitchen due to a mistake (either when taking the order, inputting it in the POS or food not prepared to guest’s liking).

The following are our suggestions to prevent these scenarios:

• Consider the ingredients used across your menu and incorporate them efficiently. Offer different dishes that utilize similar ingredients to prevent overstocking and spoilage.
• Offer flexible portion sizes to allow customers to order according to their appetite and minimize plate waste.
• Design your menus around seasonal and locally sourced ingredients to ensure fresh products are used at its peak flavor and in abundance.
• Incorporate Daily or Limited-Time Specials based on surplus items nearing expiration date to encourage customers to try those dishes before they become unsellable.

3. Waste Management and Audit

In a restaurant, waste management encompasses the organized handling, minimization, recycling, and proper disposal of diverse waste types resulting from daily operations. These encompass solid waste (like food scraps, packaging, and paper), liquid waste (including used cooking oil and wastewater), and hazardous waste (such as cleaning agents).

Conducting waste audits involves assessing the types and quantities of waste generated by the restaurant. This helps identify areas for improvement, track progress toward waste reduction goals, and optimize waste management practices.

To help calculate solid food waste in your restaurant, we suggest you have a bin in your kitchen dedicated to throwing away food only and place it on a scale. Every day you will weigh the amount of wasted food and keep it in a log. Ideally, you’d use it to compare and contrast trends and consumer behavior in order to help you calculate how much ingredients you should buy and, therefore, help you save money and reduce waste.

OrderOut allows you to effortlessly generate monthly sales reports, which include delivery items often omitted during audits. This aids in estimating ingredient procurement needs weekly to match average consumption rates. Additionally, the report provides crucial insights into the most frequently sold dishes. It’s noteworthy that approximately 30% of all restaurant sales comprise delivery orders, in contrast to in-person transactions.

It is our shared responsibility to actively participate in reducing food waste. Together, we can safeguard our environment and secure a better future for generations to come.