Food Waste in Public Food Service Sector—Surplus and Leftovers

Abstract

Food waste occurs at various stages of the food supply chain, starting from the production stage on farms to processing, distribution, and consumption. It is an important global problem that has social, environmental, ethical, and economic costs. The present work aims to discuss the differences in waste generated from surpluses or leftovers, the monitoring systems of food waste in public food services, and the good practices to reduce food waste. Besides the accessible knowledge about reducing waste, tonnes of food were daily discarded and wasted. To achieve a sustainable food system, food waste must be reduced significantly. Collaborative efforts are necessary to achieve significant reductions in food waste for achieving SDG 12.3 in public food services. Thus, policies that support or enforce larger implementation of best practices are needed. Knowledge about food waste is important to change attitudes and behaviors toward surplus food and leftovers. Some best practices can include promoting awareness campaigns to educate staff about the impact of food waste and the best practices to reduce it, including information on proper storage, portion control, and meal planning; implementing inventory management systems; donating surplus food via collaboration with food banks and charities; optimizing portion sizes, ensuring they are adequate and manageable for customers, reducing the likelihood of leftover food on the plate; allowing customers to order smaller quantities or share a meal; providing packaging to allow customers take their leftovers home for later consumption. The procedures to be adopted by public food services should provide guidance for the selection of products that can be donated. However, specific temperature requirements depending on the food category should be complied with. This paper enlarges the understanding of surpluses and leftovers and the best practices that could be implemented in public food services to minimize food waste.

From kitchen scraps to delicacies to food waste

“…"Cooked and safely distributed foods that have not been fully consumed by the consumer" 13 Avoidable food waste "All food wasted by negligence and poor planning" (authors' suggestion) Unavoidable food waste "Mostly non-edible parts of food (e.g., bones, skins, peels, hoofs, claws, shells)" (authors' suggestion) ordering). 3,13 There are still gaps in our understanding of food waste and food waste prevention. This paper is an attempt to highlight the multi-dimensionality of the food waste issue.…”

“…These losses are mainly caused by inefficiencies in the food supply chains, such as poor infrastructure and logistics, lack of technology, insufficient skills" 7 Kitchen loss "All food lost during storage or preparation" 6 Food waste "Food and inedible parts of food removed from the food supply chain to be recovered or disposed (includingcomposted, crops ploughed in/not harvested, anaerobic digestion, bioenergy production, co-generation, incineration, disposal to sewer, landll or discarded to sea)" 11 "Occurs at the retail and consumption level" 2 "Any substance or product, whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed, intended to be, or reasonably expected to be ingested by humans which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard" 12 "Food which was originally produced for human consumption but then was discarded or was not consumed by humans" 6 "Food appropriate for human consumption being discarded, whether or not aer it is kept beyond its expiry date or le to spoil. Oen this is because food has spoiled but it can be for other reasons such as oversupply due to markets, or individual consumer shopping/eating habits" 7 "The use of food meant for consumption by humans for non-consumption purposes, the redirection of food to feed animals, or the disposal of edible food" 13 "Food that is t for consumption but consciously discarded at the retail or consumption phases" 9 "Food and inedible parts not ultimately consumed by humans that are discarded or recycled, such as plate waste (i.e., food that has been served but not eaten, spoiled food, or peels and rinds considered inedible") 10 "Food originally produced (processed or prepared) for human consumption but was not consumed by humans" (authors' suggestion) Serving waste "Food served that did not reach the plates of guests" 6 Plate waste "All waste from the plate of guests including plate leovers and non-food parts" 6 Food surpluses "Foods cooked in excess for certain quantities or portions, "unused" food waste" 13…”

“…Food waste occurs in retail (poor storage, expiry date, aesthetic standards, and poor packaging), in households (expiry dates, overpreparation, aesthetics, and food preferences) and in hospitality areas (over-preparation, poor storage, large portion size, and over-ordering). 3,13 There are still gaps in our understanding of food waste and food waste prevention. This paper is an attempt to highlight the multi-dimensionality of the food waste issue.…”

A systematic review of customer food waste and understanding the household wasteful performance structure

“…To address these issues, it is necessary to implement effective waste monitoring systems, educate staff in inventory management and portion control, and encourage sustainable food practices, including food donation programs and the reuse of leftover products. Such comprehensive measures might improve hotels' commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices, significantly reduce food waste, and boost efficiency (Gonçalves et al 2023).…”