Source Reduction: Better Product Usage

From using imperfect produce for salads and juicing to turning protein trim into tartare, there are many ways to minimize waste—and improve food costs.

CHAPTER 6

Source Reduction: Better Product Usage

UNDERSTAND WHAT’S BEING WASTED, THEN WORK TO SOLVE IT

Once food preparation begins, there are many opportunities to reduce waste in the kitchen and beverage stations. Reducing waste is an ongoing process, and it requires commitment from everyone involved, in both the front and back of the house.

The best way to get started is to understand what and how much is being wasted. Are vegetables being improperly trimmed? Is food spoiling before it can be used? Are too many portions of any given item being cooked off?

Tracking food thrown away could cut food costs by 2%–6% by increasing awareness of food waste within the operation and focusing attention on front- and back-of-house prevention activities.¹

Consider conducting an ongoing audit of kitchen waste. According to Leanpath, which provides automated food-waste tracking systems and guidance to the foodservice industry, the ideal method is to measure food waste every day, at least initially. This allows you to spot more improvement opportunities, monitor improvement as well as backsliding, and raise employee waste awareness at every meal. Experiment with ways to track waste, including collection bins and tally sheets, and track food type and reason for the loss by employee and/or station.²

Nearly 80% of food waste comes from perishable foods (prepared fresh deli items, meats, fruits and vegetables, seafood, milk and dairy, and bread and bakery items). Pound per pound, fruits and vegetables are among the least expensive and fastest-spoiling foods, constituting more than 40% of total food waste, while seafood and meats are the most expensive and two least-wasted food types (12% and 2%, respectively).²

Another important consideration: Food-waste management is a team sport. Every employee, in both the front and back of the house, needs a buy-in. Conduct meetings to explain your organization’s motivation, methods, and goals. Appoint one or several key employees to serve in a leadership role in the process.

Solicit ideas from employees for ways to use trim, overproduction, less-than-perfect ingredients, and other items that might otherwise go to waste. Consider incenting back-of-house staff to reduce their individual food waste, but avoid shaming and negative comparisons—successful programs are made from teachable moments.

In addition:

Train all new culinary team members in optimizing food preparation, batch cooking, specific portion sizes, cross-utilization, and repurposing of food trim and excess food
Provide detailed and concise recipes for all standard menu prep, including how many portions should be prepared from packaged ingredients
Plan a second use for prep waste, like deep-frying potato skins as a snack

Plan a second use for prepped ingredients and recipes in the event of overproduction, such as repurposing cooked chicken breast in a salad
Scale back production by using smaller batches and pans, using smaller display containers, and reducing end-of-day production
Use à la minute cooking wherever possible and finish prepped components to order; for instance, if a side of carrots gets tossed with salsa verde, do that on the pick-up so both vegetable and sauce can be more easily repurposed

Favor vegetables with high yield and versatility. Acorn squash can be used as a “bowl” for a pilaf garnished with toasted squash seeds, and beet greens can be steamed or added to a salad, but there is a tremendous amount of waste with an artichoke
Avoid using garnishes that are not meant to be eaten

Incorporate ingredients from standard menu prep in LTOs (limited-time offers) and specials in order to flush excess inventory and to test customer acceptance of potential new menu additions
Urge customers to bring home leftovers, and provide environmentally responsible packaging

Tips

Juice unused fruits, vegetables, and herbs
Use the pulp in muffins or veggie burgers
Turn protein trim or other unusable scraps (such as broken shrimp) into mousse, tartare, croquettes, or salad
Utilize cosmetically challenged produce in applications such as mashes, soups, and sauces
Purée herb stems into pesto or soups, mince for flavored butter, or add to a bouquet garni
Use overripe, misshapen, or extra fruit in ice cream, jam, fruit butters and spreads, and desserts such as cobblers
Prepare tempura or slaw from cauliflower cores and broccoli stems, or use in quick pickles
Use fruit and vegetable trimmings to make syrups and infusions for beverages
Purée leftover starches such as cooked mashed potatoes and rice to create a thickener
Use dairy items prepped for the coffee station in chowder or pudding
Transform coffee grounds into a rub for pork or beef, along with sugar or molasses to counter any bitterness
Repurpose liquids such as juice or coffee as ice cubes
Add vegetable trim—the ends of zucchini, outer cabbage leaves, carrot peels—to meatless burgers, meat loaf, and meatballs, or use in stuffing or stocks
Turn leftover bread, rolls, and other breadstuff into croutons for panzanella salad or bread pudding, matzo balls, or breadcrumbs, which can be used as a binder, thickener, or toasted and seasoned to add texture and flavor to pasta and other recipes

OPERATOR SPOTLIGHT
For Haven’s Kitchen, a café, event caterer, and cooking school in New York City, whole-product utilization represents a creative and cost-effective method of reducing food waste. It also adds value to the food—and beverage—experience. Recently, the beverage team spearheaded an initiative to use leftover kitchen prep trim such as lemon peels for cocktails and Bloody Marys made with kale stems. Ultimately, this led to a new beverage menu and helped guest conversations about food-waste reduction. The program was so successful that a dedicated space in the walk-in was created for food trim to be used in bar service.

^{_{Sources: [1] ReFED, Restaurant Food Waste Action Guide (2018). [2] Leanpath, How to Conduct a Food Waste Audit (2018).}}