Reducing Waste, Raising Safety: Smart Strategies for Managing Food Waste
In the face of increasing food prices and an ever-increasing demand for foodservice operations to reduce the amount of food wasted, foodservice operators are increasingly looking to implement and develop programs to help stem the amount of food wasted in their businesses.
Across all sectors of the food supply chain, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has estimated approximately 32% of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted. In the foodservice industry, 85% of the unused food is thrown out, only a small amount is recycled or donated.
Managing food waste effectively while maintaining high food safety standards can be challenging, but it’s a crucial part of running a sustainable and customer-centric foodservice business. While it may not be evident at first glance, food waste and food safety are closely related. When food is discarded improperly or not stored correctly, it can lead to contamination, pest infestations, and the spread of harmful bacteria. Improper disposal of food waste also increases the risk of cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods.
Managing food waste efficiently involves balancing the need to minimize waste with the responsibility of ensuring food safety. Foodservice operators must make sure that food is discarded safely, and that they are not creating unsafe conditions in the process.
One of the most important steps in managing food waste is proper food storage. Make sure to have a standard operating procedure for storing leftover food or surplus ingredients. This involves using the FIFO (first in, first out) method; ensuring older products are used first helps. Keeping track of expiration dates is also key in this regard.
When storing leftovers, ensure they are sealed in air-tight containers to maintain freshness and prevent contamination. Label containers with dates and contents to ensure they are used in a timely manner.
Over-ordering ingredients and large portion sizes are common contributors to food waste. By adopting portion control techniques, foodservice operators can reduce waste and help ensure that food safety is maintained.
While some food waste is inevitable, it’s essential to dispose of it properly. Recycling and composting food waste not only minimizes landfill waste but can also improve the overall hygiene and safety of your operation.
For food scraps that can’t be repurposed, composting offers an environmentally friendly way to dispose of waste. However, composting needs to be done properly to avoid attracting pests and creating unsanitary conditions. Designating separate bins for food waste, recyclables, and general trash helps ensure that food waste is properly discarded, minimizing contamination risks in the process.
…Food donation laws vary by region, so foodservice businesses should stay informed about local rules regarding food donations, including food safety protocols for donors.
In many cases, surplus food can be donated to local charities or food banks. However, donating food comes with its own set of food safety considerations. Operators must adhere to food safety guidelines to ensure donated food remains safe for consumption.
Food donation laws vary by region, so foodservice businesses should stay informed about local rules regarding food donations, including food safety protocols for donors. The health inspector is always a great place to start with questions related to the laws in your local area.
An often-overlooked aspect of food waste management is training staff to handle food properly. Employees should be well-versed in food safety protocols, including safe food handling, storing, and discarding practices. Regular staff training can help reduce food waste while maintaining high standards of food safety. Encouraging staff to be mindful of waste, whether by reusing ingredients or taking steps to reduce excess waste, can lead to significant improvements in both food safety and waste management practices.
Managing food waste while maintaining food safety is a delicate balance in retail foodservice operations. By implementing effective storage, portion control, recycling, and donation strategies, foodservice businesses can reduce waste without compromising the safety of the food they serve. Risk Nothing.
September is Food Safety Education Month: The Culture of Food Safety
Developing a culture of food safety is important for any foodservice operation. You may be wondering--just what is a culture of food safety? Let’s start talking about it by first defining what is meant by culture. When you look culture up in the dictionary, you will see terms such as shared knowledge, beliefs, values, attitudes, and meanings; a way of life; patterns of behavior; learned behavior of a group of people; and transmitted from generation to generation. I think these descriptors provide good insight into the meaning of a culture of food safety. You can also think about where you grew up, and a vision of culture comes. For example, I grew up in rural Oklahoma, graduating in the 1970’s with a class of 24 students. My culture instilled in me an appreciation for rural life, hard work, and independence. As I grow older, I realize I haven’t changed very much from my early years, even though I have completed a PhD, lived a lot of places, and traveled throughout the world!
Produce Safety: Special Considerations
In our last blog, I talked about general produce safety. Today, I want to talk about some special products—melons, tomatoes, leafy greens, and sprouts. These are all foods that have a history of bacterial contamination leading to foodborne illness. I also want to discuss salad bars because they have some special risks.
Fresh and Tasty Produce, but are there Food Safety Concerns?
One of the best things about the middle of summer is the wonderful variety of tasty fresh produce that is available. I hope you are enjoying the fruits of the harvest because it has great flavor and provides us with a variety of important vitamins, minerals, and fiber needed to maintain good health.
SafeBites Time and Temperature Control: How To’s
Welcome back! In the last blog I gave the low down on temperature controlled for safety (TCS) foods and the temperature danger zone (TDZ). The focus of this blog is all about control of time and temperatures of foods in your operations. You might say we are discussing Control Issues! Kidding aside, knowing that temperature abuse is a leading cause of foodborne illness, it only makes sense to pay attention to the time that TCS foods are in the TDZ (remember, that is between 41° F and 135° F). FoodHandler® recently updated some useful time and temperature documentation tools.
