An average of 26 percent of produce is wasted in the United States due to strict cosmetic standards imposed by grocery chains[1]. Restaurants often have the same guidelines, struggling with what to do with leftovers traditionally tossed following dish preparation. But even though the world produces twice as much food as it needs, 800 million individuals are malnourished worldwide[2]. Wasted food is not only bad for humanity and the environment, it also impacts a business’s bottom line.
Changes are happening gradually to combat this crisis, Jordan Figueiredo, food waste activist, commented during the Roots 2015 conference sponsored by The Chef’s Garden®. He believes it has been amazing to see the progress of food waste recovery efforts in the last five years. Reduction of discarded product is now happening along the food chain from farm to store and restaurant, helping to reduce what ultimately ends up in a landfill.
Not only is the trend to embrace cooking with “ugly” vegetables catching on[3], chefs are developing creative uses for what would have been “wasted” food. At one New York chef’s popup restaurant, a series of menu items was developed around this theme. When a restaurant considers the amount of money, in the form of wasted food, which is thrown away in the trash daily, it is easy to understand why meal preparation food costs are the second largest restaurant expense.[4]
According to Chef Jamie Simpson, Executive Chef of The Chef’s Garden® Culinary Vegetable Institute (CVI), “The difference between profit and loss is the weight of your trash can.” He said that everyone at the CVI practices food conservation as a way of life. He believes composting may be part of the answer to food waste, but that it should be a last resort. “Chefs at the CVI use every part of a plant – from stem to stalk — during food preparation. If the food is not eaten raw, left over ingredients are dehydrated, pureed, pickled, fried or dried for use in future dishes or as a stock base. We preserve everything. Doing so, not only reduces what is thrown out, it extends a product’s season and saves money,” he added. Simpson is pleased to report that as a result of CVI’s total food waste management program, kitchen waste is down to one percent.
To begin to understand the problem’s extent, restaurants can track and analyze what is thrown away when cooking. In addition, storage of dated and labeled clean fruits and vegetables in suitable containers and at the right temperatures, extends their useful life. It is estimated, that an average restaurant may create more than 50 tons of organic waste in one year that can be completely recycled.[5] Some restaurants are able to send food to local hunger centers.
Recycling benefits to the restaurant include:
- Reducing food costs and generating revenue;
- Enhancing company image;
- Improving foodservice practices; and
- Positively impacting the environment.
The issue can also be addressed on a personal level. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency estimate that Americans throw away about one-third of available food.[6] As a result, the organizations issued a challenge to reduce that amount 50 percent by the year 2030.[7] Education is one of many initiatives already underway to help redirect food rather than pitch it. Suggestions showing how to shop and cook in ways that reduce losses in home refrigerators is part of the effort. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack noted that the amount of food wasted each year would fill the Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) 44 times.[8]
Farmer Lee Jones™ Perpetually clad in his trademark overalls, white shirt and a red bowtie, Farmer Lee Jones is the iconic figure of his family’s 300-acre sustainable farm in Huron, Ohio. Together, with his father Bob Jones, Sr. and his brother, Bob, Jr, they lead The Chef’s Garden team in pioneering the sustainable agricultural movement. The farm grows the best tasting and most nutritious specialty vegetables herbs and micro greens in the world. The family lives by a commitment to produce food that looks good, tastes good and is good for you.
The Chef’s Garden® is a family farm that grows, packages, and ships the highest quality and most flavorful specialty vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers directly to the best chefs in the world, www.chefs-garden.com. They can be reached at 800.289.4644 or [email protected].
[1] Jordan Figueiredo, endfoodwaste.org website. [2] Somini Sengupta, Sept. 16, 2014, New York Times article citing the United Nations. [3] Sasha Orman, Jan 2, 2015, Food Drink and Franchise! Top 10 Food Trends to Look Out For in 2015. [4] Aida, POS Sector Restaurant Management Software. [5] Ibid. [6] Allison Aubrey, Sept 16, 2015, The Salt article It’s Time To Get Serious About Reducing Food Waste, Feds Say. [7] Ibid.[8] Ibid.