Reducing food waste

Food waste costs the hospitality industry billions every year. The majority of this food waste could have been saved in some way, but there still isn’t enough being done to address the issue. Consumers are now more concerned with where their food comes from, how it gets to the plate and how the waste is dealt with. Everyone’s responsibility within the industry is to take and encourage action to reduce their environmental impact.

Technology such as AI can be a powerful tool for tracking food waste and highlighting savings. Findings can assist in altering portion sizes, the menu or purchasing. Portion sizes could be tailored by offering a ‘top up’ service or providing doggy bags. This will also help determine how much a food outlet is consistently overserving. Menus should be planned according to use-by dates and the products they already have. When purchasing fresh produce, the most perishable items should be used first and, as much as possible, only order what they know they will use. In turn, the food that can’t be saved should be safely redistributed to those that need it the most.

Reducing waste has the potential to bring work teams together on a common goal. People want to be associated with others of similar values, and reducing waste can have significant cost, environmental and social benefits. We must build waste reduction techniques and why it is essential to do so into the early learning of our younger generation to encourage the continuity of these actions for many generations.