According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), about one-third of food produced for human consumption is wasted.
Digging deeper, we see that food waste in foodservice operations (FSB) and retail is a major challenge, as so many resources have already gone into food, yet it is wasted at the end of the supply chain.
According to international studies conducted in 2017, 2020 and 2021, food waste in the hospitality sector has intensified since the pandemic due to increased dining out consumption and growth in tourism.
For example, the UK hospitality industry wastes around 920,000 tonnes of food per year, making the UK the largest food wasteer in Europe.
In the United States, the hospitality industry produces 500 million tonnes of food waste annually, while in Australia the hospitality industry generates 1.22 million tonnes of food waste annually. In China, urban areas produce around 34 million tonnes of food waste annually.
To explore food waste in the Australian hospitality industry, we interviewed managers, owners, customer service employees, kitchen staff and chefs to identify diverse perspectives from 20 FSBs, ranging from fast food to fine dining restaurants.
Here are our findings:
There are conflicting perceptions about food waste and its responsibility among different actors in the food industry. For example, despite policymakers and communities expecting the industry to take responsibility, the industry is hesitant and unwilling to enforce as many regulations as actually affecting consumers and the dining out experience. Also, neither FSB employees nor consumers believe that wasting food is unethical.
Food waste is not seen as a “separate” activity, but is embedded within other practices and beliefs.
Food waste is common in the industry because consumer demand is unpredictable, so it is acceptable to order in bulk from suppliers, prepare/cook more for uncertain demand, and throw away leftovers.
Food waste “hotspots” varied across FSB domains. In fast food, food waste hotspots were related to consumption habits. In medium to high FSB, more waste was generated during food preparation and cooking, mainly due to chefs striving to achieve “perfection”.
Waste continues to grow
All food waste in the hospitality industry has significant negative impacts on the economy (food insecurity), society (food insecurity) and the environment (climate change and biodiversity loss), including the cost loss of food that was purchased and prepared but not consumed.
Despite the hospitality industry and FSBs being filled with diverse action plans (and strategies) to tackle food waste, research shows that food waste volumes continue to rise because food habits are deeply ingrained in different everyday routines and difficult to change through a single action plan alone.
During our research, we collected the following statements from venue managers about industry standards for food waste:
“There are two main areas that have a big impact on waste: Factors we have no control over are sales – if it’s a rainy day, for example, it may not be as busy and there may not be as much waste.
“So when we make a forecast we have to take into account a lot of different variables and although we can make our predictions as accurate as possible, there is still a certain amount of luck involved as external factors can have an impact.”
“And that's the tricky part about this industry – there's waste. In a lot of places, it's hard to manage the waste, and there are too many variables to control, so sometimes they just give up altogether.”
Comment from a customer service representative or server:
“In this industry, food often goes to waste no matter what you do, because when people order food, especially when they order for a table, they order more than they plan to. Sometimes people order more than they can eat…. I think I always tell them that it's already too much.”
“But it's a customer's choice. We can't force people not to buy food. It's painful to see that food go in the trash. If we had saved that food, we could have fed so many other people.”
The waiter said that customers eat with their eyes.
“They want to see big piles of food. From a review perspective, people want to see a big plate of food in front of them. They believe it's entirely up to them to finish it. But… [FSB staff] If you reduce the portion size, you'll get loud feedback like, “They're not as big as they used to be.”
“And they don't acknowledge it from their perspective, or maybe it was excessive because they didn't finish it.”
How to reduce food waste
We have developed two lists of recommendations to help food businesses and consumers.
For food businesses
Food waste can be avoided through collaboration with consumers without sacrificing the profit motive.
Although FSB places bulk orders to obtain discounts, a technology-based approach to forecasting and inventory management can provide a cost-effective solution to managing food waste.
Use leftovers from cooking or ingredients left over from cooking at the end of the day to make other foods like sauces, soups, juices, etc.
Side dishes like vegetables, potatoes, and chips are optional.
Provide training to staff on how to prepare and cook ingredients without wasting them, even if you have high staff turnover.
Invest in proper storage infrastructure, especially refrigerated stores for perishables, to keep excess items fresh for longer.
Consumer
Before ordering or trying a new dish, learn about the ingredients in the food to avoid throwing it away because it wasn't what you expected.
When entertaining guests, focus on quality of food rather than quantity.
If you eat out, there's no shame in taking leftovers home to eat later.
Try switching from a large portion to a medium portion and see if it satisfies your appetite.
If you don't like a side dish, ask that it not be served. A side dish may be cheaper than a main dish, but wasting it is just as bad as wasting a main dish.
If a restaurant offers suggestions on how to reduce food waste, follow their advice. By reducing food waste, restaurants can save money, help communities through food banks, and protect the environment.
Although superficial behavioral changes alone cannot solve serious societal challenges such as food waste, our findings provide a nuanced understanding of how the repeated application of deep-rooted social practices can make food waste a default phenomenon in FSBs.
It is therefore important to see food waste as an issue for everyone and to adopt a holistic approach that can challenge and modify deeply rooted beliefs about food and food waste.
This is crucial as there are increasing professional expectations within the hospitality industry to efficiently manage food waste and support sustainability.
