I can think of four ways off the top of my head that foodservice operators can reduce food waste. In September, the USDA and EPA jointly announced a goal to reduce food waste in the U.S. 50% by 2030. They are calling on individuals and industries to take up the mantle.
It’s something restaurants and chefs are already thinking about. 70% of chefs who participated in the National Restaurant Association/American Culinary Federation What’s Hot survey for 2015 said that food waste reduction/management is a hot trend. It ranked No. 9 of 198 trend topics. The four ways foodservice can reduce food waste are things I’ve talked to chefs about, so I know they are happening and need to happen more.
Practice nose-to-tail cooking, and embrace vegetable stems and peelings. Other countries have long used the whole animal. Here’s a shout out to Italy for osso buco when Americans might not have thought to turn to the tough veal shank for a meal. But lesser cuts of meat are less expensive. In light of food-waste reduction, the day will come when it will be as unthinkable to throw away animal parts as it is to miss the recycle bin when throwing away a can.
Chefs have told me that fish parts enrich soup broth flavor and texture while pig head lends collagen to a soup, and after it has boiled until tender, the cheeks, tongue and meat around the eye socket also yield rich flavor. Granted, all this is more likely to happen in a chef-driven, fine- dining restaurant. But soup broth could be an easy whole-animal entry point for most any establishment. The fact that the back bone of an animal was used to make a soup broth doesn’t have to be widely publicized if the “ick factor” is a concern.
Buy a farmer’s entire crop and start preserving (or fermenting or pickling). Supporting local farmers is a mantra for much of the foodservice industry. But some chefs believe that means becoming responsible for local farmers’ entire crop. Not only will the farmer not have to throw away any of the crop, his livelihood will be sustained for another year.
Most recently, I talked to Erik Foxx-Nettnin, executive chef at Magnolia’s at the Mill in Purcellville, Virginia, about his Crispy Chicken Spring Rolls that include mushrooms and green onion with cabbage and plum kimchi preserves as the dipping sauce. He created the cabbage and plum kimchi preserves long before the spring roll, simply because he had purchased entire crops of cabbage and plums in keeping with his philosophy to support farmers. He believes in buying a whole crop and deciding what to do with it later. Thus preserving and pickling are second nature to him.
Reduce portion sizes. Yes, consumers want value, and they can always take leftovers home. But they don’t always. Thus, to the trash go mashed potatoes and salads. There’s been a public cry to reduce portion sizes for some time.
Small plates/appetizers are a popular non-chintzy way to accomplish this. Guests are in control of how much they want to eat. I like the way Applebee’s has redone its appetizer menu. Besides adding interesting things like pot stickers, Sriracha shrimp and kobe-style meatballs, it has a mix and match “build your sampler” option where guests can order two for $8.49, three for $11.49 and each additional item added is $2.99. With this method of “portion control,” I’ll bet nothing goes back to the kitchen uneaten. I think appetizers/small plates have a greater future on the menu than others are acknowledging at this point—for reasons of portion control and refreshing variety. Too much of one thing is too much, I always say.
Give leftovers to charity rather than dump. Many already do this. It is ethical, sustainable and a good business practice. Panera Bread is probably the most well-known and ahead of its time in this area. Among other things, it has instituted an effort it calls Day-End Dough-Nation™ &
In-Kind Donations and states on its website, “We give back to our communities by donating unsold baked goods to hunger relief agencies and making in-kind donations to charities.”
Panera’s care of the hungry might seem like a business routine were it not for its Panera Cares® Community Cafes, which is The Panera Bread Foundation’s non-profit bakery-cafes that break the mold and provide meals for those in need without regard to the cost.
As you can see, reducing food waste benefits a lot of people beyond the restaurant operator.
Tell me what you think.
Jody
