WASTE MANAGEMENT
Store food correctly: Ensure that food in fridges and freezers is stored at the correct temperature and rotate your stock appropriately, particularly perishable items.
Label food correctly: If you store food into different containers, make sure to clearly label it with allergens, date information and a product description. Keeping stock organised helps with knowing what you have and when to use it by.
Keep a stock inventory: Conduct regular stock checks to monitor what’s nearing its expiration date and create dishes that incorporate those ingredients. Use the ‘first in, first out’ (FIFO) method to ensure older stock is used before new deliveries. Efficient inventory management reduces the likelihood of food going to waste due to expiration or spoilage.
Ensure deliveries match orders: Make sure to only accept what you ordered, and that the product is of good quality and within its use by date.
Engage in staff training: Staff play a pivotal role in reducing food waste. Train them to handle food efficiently, minimise prep waste, and recognise when to adjust portion sizes. Encourage a culture of mindfulness around food waste and consider offering incentives for waste reduction.
Use accurate portion control: One of the most effective ways to reduce food waste is through accurate portion control. Overestimating portions oſten leads to excess food being thrown away. Use portioning tools such as scoops, ladles or scales to ensure consistency. Make sure your portion specification matches the requirements of your residents.
Keep your menu simple: Strategic menu planning can significantly reduce food waste. The more extensive your menu the more stock you need to hold, heightening the risk of unnecessary waste. Design menus that use similar ingredients across multiple dishes to maximise ingredient usage.
Don’t peel your vegetables: This not only boosts the nutrition of your dishes, but it also saves time and effort for your kitchen staff. If you do feel it necessary to peel vegetables, use the peelings to make stock, or to blend into soup.
Repurpose leſtover ingredients: Get creative with leſtovers. Turn yesterday’s unused ingredients into today’s specials or garnishes. For example, stale bread can be turned into croutons or pangritata. Repurposing ingredients not only reduces waste but can also add variety to your menu.
Monitor and analyse waste: Regularly monitor and analyse the types and amounts of food waste your care homes produce. Use this data to identify patterns and areas for improvement. Consider investing in waste tracking technology to streamline this process. Understanding where and why waste occurs allows you to implement targeted strategies to reduce it.
“The UK alone throws away around 9.5m tonnes of food waste in a single year.”
Don’t forget that new food waste legislation is now in force which impacts all businesses with more than 10 employees. All food waste must be collected from workplaces, regardless of volume. This includes premises that do not serve food.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/simpler-recycling-workplace- recycling-in-england
This is as part of the Environmental Act 2021. The new reforms named Simpler Recycling aim to improve the existing recycling system. The intention is to streamline and simplify the recycling of waste. You can find out more here.
https://allmanhall.co.uk/blog/new-food-waste-legislation- coming-in-2025
Be mindful of what goes into producing your food, especially precious resources like water. A third of the water in global agriculture is linked to meat and dairy production. One of the simplest ways to reduce your care homes’ water consumption and minimise water waste, is to reduce the meat and dairy on your menu and offer a wider variety of more sustainable ingredients.
With food inflation currently at 3% and expected to rise further due to increased labour costs, this is yet another motivation to change behaviour around your catering costs.
Reducing food waste will help you to save money for your care homes and that’s not all – there are more great tips for managing your budget here.
https://allmanhall.co.uk/blog/6-more-practical-ideas-to-help- cope-with-food-inflation
https://allmanhall.co.uk
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