The most common problem restaurants struggle with these days is none other than food wastage. Several tons of food items are thrown out in restaurants every day. According to a survey, humans waste one-third of overall food. It leads to pollution and deprivation of food for some people. Know that not wasting food is basic human decency. In restaurants, the leftover food is too much that leads to going to waste. Many countries are facing a landfill capacity crisis due to food wastage. It also contributes to change in the global climate. The food decomposes and produces methane gas. It also mass-produces many other chemicals that are harmful to our earth. Reducing food wastage can help you save and make more money for your restaurant. Hence, reducing food wastage has many benefits. Below we have mentioned five best ways to stop food wastage.
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1. Reuse the Food
The best way to decrease food wastage is to reuse the food. You need to look beyond just-prepared food to manage your restaurant and its production. Make sure you store the leftovers in a commercial freezer. Freezing leftovers is one of the best ways to preserve them. You can also put them in refrigerators if you need them in 2-3 days. Put the food in an airtight container. You can use the food in many other meals. If you have boiled rice, you can use it to make fried rice. You can use leftover sauce to use in pasta the next day.
2. Donate Some Food
There is nothing wrong with doing some good for society. You will have many excess foods at the end of the day, and what’s better than to donate them. You can find many charities and homeless people that don’t have access to food. You will not have to worry about any storage problems. The best way is to set up a link with any local charity and send all the food to the organization. It will also help your restaurant build an honorable reputation. Another option is to contact a bank. The bank will send the food to homes instead of organizations.
3. Shop Smart
If you don’t buy too much food, you will not have excess food in the end. You may face food wastage situations if you have extra food in the inventory. Buying extra food is one of the most common reasons that lead to food wastage. Hence, buying food in exact amounts is always best for your restaurant. We know that it is not easy to buy food for a restaurant in a specific quantity. That is why you will have to track your average food production and shop according to the stats.
4. Stock Rotation
If you don’t know the stock rotation, you are missing out way too much. The FIFO rule is crucial for any storage situation. The rule means first in, first out. The food that first goes in will go out first. It will decrease the chances of food spoilage.
5. Offer Food to Employees
Ask your employees if they want to take some food home. You can offer the uneaten leftovers to your employees if they are safe to eat. It will reduce food wastage and increase employee loyalty.
