Uzair Raza
Running a food service operation requires overseeing various intricate components. One area that is often overlooked is the question of how to deal with food waste in restaurants.
Food waste poses a significant challenge in our society, particularly within the restaurant sector. In the United States, inefficiencies in the food system lead to almost 40% of the nation’s food supply being left unsold or unconsumed. The food service industry alone contributes to approximately 13 million tons of food waste in the United States, most of which comes from restaurants.
While operators have numerous techniques and protocols to enhance control over food costs, it’s essential to integrate solutions for reducing food waste. Implementing these measures helps minimize waste and enhances a restaurant’s cost control capabilities. As food waste decreases, ingredient yields rise, leading to an overall boost in profitability.
This article delves into the common causes of restaurant food waste, how to help decrease food waste, and how to track waste events. Doing so lets you know precisely how waste directly affects your inventory yield and the profitability of specific menu items.
Types of Food Waste in Restaurants
To initiate the process of reducing food waste in restaurants, you must begin by comprehending the two types of food waste you will likely encounter.
Pre-Consumer Food Waste: This includes all of the stock wasted in restaurants before it reaches the consumer. For instance, if a newly hired line cook becomes overly enthusiastic on the grill and overcooks a steak, rendering it unservable, this falls under pre-consumer waste. Pre-consumer waste typically constitutes 4 to 10% of total restaurant food waste.
Post-Consumer Food Waste: This includes all food discarded after being served to your customers and constitutes the more substantial portion of food waste. On average, guests leave 17% of their food uneaten, with more than half of these leftovers left on your restaurant’s table. Post-consumer waste can result from various factors, and we’ll delve into strategies for addressing them shortly.
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What causes restaurant food waste?
Restaurant food waste stems from various factors. The following are the four primary reasons accounting for this waste:
Expiration and Spoilage:
Expiration and spoilage of perishable ingredients, including fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, constitute a significant source of restaurant food waste. These items inherently possess a limited shelf life governed by temperature sensitivity, humidity, and natural decay processes. When restaurants fail to utilize these ingredients within their optimal freshness window, they risk spoilage, rendering the items unsuitable for consumption.
Customer Plate Waste:
Customer plate waste, a notable contributor to the overall food waste generated by restaurants, stems from various factors related to customer behavior and restaurant practices. When customers leave significant portions of their meals uneaten, it not only represents a financial loss for the establishment but also contributes to broader environmental and social concerns.
The phenomenon of plate waste can be linked to diverse aspects, including portion sizes, personal preferences, cultural norms, and expectations surrounding dining experiences.
Food spillage
Food spillage is quite common in restaurants. It can include a server accidentally dropping food trays in the dining area during service to prep cooks unintentionally knocking over cutting boards. No matter how small, these mistakes can accumulate into significant financial losses for the establishment.
Refires
A refire occurs when a dish is returned to the kitchen for a remake. This could be due to various reasons such as receiving the wrong order, failing to mention they’re allergic to something, or the food needed to be prepared to their liking.
How to reduce food waste in restaurants?
Temperature Control:
Effective temperature control ensures food safety by inhibiting the proliferation of harmful pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, maintaining optimal temperatures reduces the likelihood of food spoilage. This encompasses prompt cooling of hot food, reheating to the appropriate core temperature (a minimum of 70°C for 2 minutes), proper storage of high-risk food in refrigerators (1-4°C) and freezers (below -18°C), and maintaining safe temperatures during hot or cold holding (above 63°C and below 8°C, respectively).
Conduct a Waste Audit:
Before implementing any changes, it’s crucial to understand the current state of food waste in your restaurant. Conduct a comprehensive waste audit to identify areas where food is being wasted. This involves monitoring and documenting all stages of food preparation, from ordering and storage to cooking and serving. This information will serve as a baseline for measuring progress and identifying specific areas for improvement.
Optimize Inventory Management:
Efficient inventory management is critical to minimizing food waste. Implementing a robust ordering system that considers demand patterns, seasonality, and shelf life can help reduce overstocking. Regularly update and review inventory to identify slow-moving items or those approaching their expiration dates, allowing for proactive measures such as discounted promotions or creative menu additions to utilize these ingredients.
Train Staff on Portion Control:
Proper portion control is an effective way to prevent overproduction and excessive plate waste. Provide training to kitchen staff on accurate portioning to minimize food waste without compromising customer satisfaction. This includes educating chefs and cooks about appropriate serving sizes and implementing consistent measuring practices.
Embrace a Nose-to-Tail and Root-to-Stem Approach:
Encourage chefs to adopt a nose-to-tail and root-to-stem cooking philosophy, utilizing as much of each ingredient as possible. This approach reduces food waste and provides an opportunity for creative and unique menu offerings. By using ingredients in their entirety, restaurants can minimize the disposal of edible portions often discarded during traditional food preparation.
Implement a Composting Program:
Setting up a composting program effectively diverts food waste from landfills and turns it into valuable compost for gardens or local farms. Establish a designated area in the kitchen for food waste collection, and work with local composting facilities or farms to ensure proper disposal and utilization of organic waste.
Educate Customers on Leftovers:
Encourage customers to take leftovers home by providing attractive and eco-friendly to-go containers. Implement a messaging strategy emphasizing the environmental and economic benefits of reducing food waste. Consider offering incentives, such as discounts or loyalty points, to customers who bring their containers or participate in the effort to minimize waste.
Regularly Review and Adjust Menus:
Frequent menu reviews allow restaurants to adapt to changing customer preferences and ingredient availability. By strategically adjusting menus based on seasonal offerings and customer feedback, restaurants can minimize the risk of overstocking and reduce the likelihood of unsold items contributing to food waste.
Monitor and Track Progress:
Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor and track progress in reducing food waste. Regularly analyze data from waste audits, inventory management, and customer feedback to identify areas for improvement. Celebrate achievements and use insights gained from monitoring to refine and enhance waste reduction strategies over time.
Collaborate with Local Food Banks or Charities:
Establish partnerships with local food banks or charitable organizations to redirect surplus food that is still safe for consumption. Develop a system to donate excess, perishable items to those in need regularly. This not only contributes to reducing food waste but also makes a positive impact on the community. Ensure that the donated food adheres to safety regulations, and collaborate with local organizations to streamline the donation process.
Invest in Technology for Smart Inventory Management:
Explore and invest in technology solutions to enhance your restaurant’s inventory management. Implementing software or apps that track inventory levels, expiration dates, and ordering patterns can significantly improve efficiency. Some systems even use predictive analytics to help forecast demand, enabling more accurate ordering and minimizing the chances of overstocking. Utilizing technology in this way can streamline operations, reduce human error, and optimize inventory, all contributing to food waste reduction.
How to Calculate Food Waste in Restaurants?
Calculating food waste in restaurants involves a systematic approach that considers various food handling and disposal stages. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to calculate food waste in restaurants:
Conduct a Waste Audit: Start by conducting a waste audit to understand the current food waste in your restaurant. Track and record all discarded items during food preparation, cooking, serving, and customer leftovers.
Measure Food Waste: Quantify food waste by weight or volume. Use standardized units, such as kilograms or pounds, to ensure measurement consistency. Consider using digital scales or measuring containers for accuracy.
Categorize Food Waste: Categorize food waste into specific types, such as pre-consumer (before reaching customers) and post-consumer (leftovers from customers). This segmentation helps identify areas for targeted waste reduction efforts.
Determine Source and Reasons: Identify the sources and reasons for food waste. Determine if waste occurs during preparation, due to overproduction, or due to customer plate waste. This insight helps in formulating effective waste reduction strategies.
Track Inventory Levels: Monitor and record inventory levels regularly. Keep track of ingredient shelf life, and use the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method to ensure older items are used before newer ones.
Record Spoilage and Wastage During Preparation: Document instances of spoilage during food preparation, such as overcooking, burning, or contamination. This includes any trimmings, peels, or parts of discarded ingredients.
Track Unserved or Returned Plates: Keep records of unserved or returned plates from customers. Note the reasons for returns, whether due to customer dissatisfaction, incorrect orders, or other factors contributing to plate waste.
Conclusion: How to Deal with Food Waste in Restaurants
In conclusion, addressing food waste in restaurants is a responsibility and an opportunity for positive change. The journey to reduce food waste involves a combination of awareness, efficient practices, and a commitment to sustainability. By implementing strategies such as menu optimization, proper inventory management, and collaboration with local organizations for food donations, restaurants can significantly minimize their environmental footprint while positively impacting their community.
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