scholarly journals Patterns and Causes of Food Waste in the Hospitality and Food Service Sector: Food Waste Prevention Insights from Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 6016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Effie Papargyropoulou ◽  
Julia K. Steinberger ◽  
Nigel Wright ◽  
Rodrigo Lozano ◽  
Rory Padfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Social Practices ◽  
Waste Prevention ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Prevention Measures

Food waste has formidable detrimental impacts on food security, the environment, and the economy, which makes it a global challenge that requires urgent attention. This study investigates the patterns and causes of food waste generation in the hospitality and food service sector, with the aim of identifying the most promising food waste prevention measures. It presents a comparative analysis of five case studies from the hospitality and food service (HaFS) sector in Malaysia and uses a mixed-methods approach. This paper provides new empirical evidence to highlight the significant opportunity and scope for food waste reduction in the HaFS sector. The findings suggest that the scale of the problem is even bigger than previously thought. Nearly a third of all food was wasted in the case studies presented, and almost half of it was avoidable. Preparation waste was the largest fraction, followed by buffet leftover and then customer plate waste. Food waste represented an economic loss equal to 23% of the value of the food purchased. Causes of food waste generation included the restaurants’ operating procedures and policies, and the social practices related to food consumption. Therefore, food waste prevention strategies should be twofold, tackling both the way the hospitality and food service sector outlets operate and organise themselves, and the customers’ social practices related to food consumption.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Food Waste Prevention Measures—The Use of Fish Products in the Food Service Sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6613
Author(s):  
Yanne Goossens ◽  
Thomas G. Schmidt ◽  
Manuela Kuntscher
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Economic ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Waste Prevention ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Economic Costs

This study presents two food waste prevention measures focusing on the interface between the food service sector and its food suppliers. Through a case study on procuring salmon by a hotel kitchen, the use of food products with different convenience grades is examined. The convenience grade of the fish bought (whole salmon, fillets or portions) determines where along the food chain filleting and/or portioning takes place and thus where food waste from cut-offs occurs. To reduce food waste, we propose purchasing filleted or portioned salmon rather than whole salmon. For both measures, effectiveness is calculated by looking at food waste reductions along the food chain, achieved by a better use of filleting and portioning cut-offs. Next, sustainability across the environmental, economic and social dimension is evaluated by calculating (a) avoided embodied environmental impacts and economic costs, (b) avoided food waste disposal environmental impacts and economic costs and (c) environmental, economic and social impacts and costs associated with implementing the measures. Purchasing fillets or portions instead of whole salmon leads to food waste reductions of −89% and −94%, respectively. The interventions further lead to net climate change impact savings along the salmon chain of −16% (fillets) and −18% (portions). Whereas the kitchen saves costs when switching to fillets (−13%), a switch to portions generates additional net costs (+5%). On a social level, no effects could be determined based on the information available. However, good filleting skills would no longer be needed in the kitchen and a time consuming preparation can be sourced out.

Food waste volume and origin: Case studies in the Finnish food service sector

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 140-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsi Silvennoinen ◽  
Lotta Heikkilä ◽  
Juha-Matti Katajajuuri ◽  
Anu Reinikainen
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service

scholarly journals Drivers and Determinants of Food Waste Generation in Restaurants Serving Mediterranean Mezze-Type Cuisine

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6358
Author(s):  
Ali Chalak ◽  
Hussein F. Hassan ◽  
Pamela Aoun ◽  
Mohamad G. Abiad
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Hospitality Industry ◽  
Food Service ◽  
High Price ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Water Pipe ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Middle Range ◽  
Price Range

Food waste from the food service and hospitality industry is increasing, especially in Mezze serving restaurants, where a variety of dishes are usually served. To date, information on the factors affecting food waste generation in restaurants is scarce. This study aimed to identify the drivers and determinants of food waste generation while dining out at restaurants serving Mezze-type cuisine. According to the results from a convenience sample of 496 restaurant clientele, gender, age, and marital status did not affect food waste generation. Diners in both low and high price range restaurants waste above the grand mean compared to middle-range ones. Waste generation decreased significantly as the number of diners per table increased. However, ordering water-pipe, alcohol, or more dishes contributed significantly to food waste generation. As food waste is not the outcome of a single behavior, our study puts food waste generation drivers and determinants while dining out in perspective.

Elements affecting food waste in the food service sector

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
pp. 446-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotta Heikkilä ◽  
Anu Reinikainen ◽  
Juha-Matti Katajajuuri ◽  
Kirsi Silvennoinen ◽  
Hanna Hartikainen
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service

scholarly journals Food Waste Generation in Germany in the Scope of European Legal Requirements for Monitoring and Reporting

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6616
Author(s):  
Dominik Leverenz ◽  
Felicitas Schneider ◽  
Thomas Schmidt ◽  
Gerold Hafner ◽  
Zuemmy Nevárez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
European Commission ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Legal Requirements ◽  
German Government ◽  
Reduction Potentials ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Starting Point

The European Commission and the German government are committed to the United Nations SDG target 12.3 of reducing food waste along production chains and halving it at retail and consumer levels by 2030. European member states are required to monitor national food waste levels and report annual progress to the European Commission from 2020 onward. In this regard, the main objective of our study is to provide food waste quantities for Germany by applying methods meeting the legal requirements for monitoring and reporting within Europe-wide harmonized methodology. Our results refer to 2015 and are based on the best available data, using a combination of official statistics, surveys, and literature. We found that approx. 11.9 ± 2.4 million tonnes (144 ± 28 kg/(cap·year)) of food waste were generated in Germany, while the reduction potentials varied throughout the different sectors. Even though the underlying data show uncertainties, the outcome of the study represents a starting point for the upcoming monitoring activities in Germany by uncovering data and knowledge gaps. To meet the political reduction targets, a national food waste strategy was launched in 2019 by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which is an important step toward cooperation and exchange between actors along the entire food chain, raising awareness, and improving data quality, monitoring, and implementation of prevention measures in practice.

scholarly journals Quantifying Avoidable Food Waste and Identifying Its Underlying Causes: A Case Study of a University Dormitory in Thailand

2021 ◽  
pp. 55-67
Author(s):  
Shimpei Iwasaki ◽  
Suphat Prasopsin ◽  
Thamarat Phutthai
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Underlying Causes ◽  
Policies And Programs

To develop well-planned and effective policies and programs for reducing avoidable food waste, it is important to quantify the actual food waste level in particular settings and assess relationships among consumers’ awareness, attitudes, and behaviors. Recognizing these considerations, this paper measured avoidable food waste generated by university students living in dormitory buildings and identified its underlying causes in the case of Kanchanaburi campus, Mahidol University, Thailand. The study applied a food waste composition survey 18 times between January and May 2019 while administering questionnaires in October 2019 to the dormitory students. Based on these measures, the study identified 1,417 instances of avoidable food waste. Approximately half of the avoidable food waste had not even been eaten. Most of this waste was generated by female students. Some factors in terms of motivation, opportunity, and ability using a Motivation, Opportunity, Ability framework were found to have induced more food waste among female students. Due attention to the effect of avoidable food waste reduction includes educating dormitory students about food waste as well as more space and increased visibility of stored food in shared refrigerators. Targeting university students for reducing avoidable food waste in the setting of everyday life in dormitories is needed rather than simply focusing on the food service sector on campus.

scholarly journals Investigating the Determinants of Greek Households Food Waste Prevention Behaviour

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11451
Author(s):  
Theodora Kritikou ◽  
Dimosthenis Panagiotakos ◽  
Konstantinos Abeliotis ◽  
Katia Lasaridi
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Behavioural Control ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Waste Prevention ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Environmental Attitude ◽  
Perceived Behavioural Control ◽  
Policy Priority

Food waste prevention is globally an urgent policy priority. Multiple studies have demonstrated that in the developed world, households are the main producers of food waste along the food supply chain, being responsible for about half of the edible food wasted. This study aims to analyse consumers’ food waste behaviour and identify the factors that influence food waste generation in Greek households. A survey of 921 Greek households was conducted using a structured questionnaire based on the explanatory framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, which is currently the most widely used cognitive model in environmental psychology. The study investigated the validity of relations between the main model parameters (attitude towards food waste, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, intention, and self-reported behaviour), in addition to knowledge regarding food waste prevention, general environmental knowledge, planning and shopping habits and demographic characteristics. Results demonstrated that food waste prevention Intention and food provisioning habits are direct determinants of food waste generation Behaviour. Intention was predominantly determined by General Environmental Attitude, followed by Perceived Behavioural Control, Attitude towards Food Waste, and Consequences/Outcomes of waste prevention, while Subjective Norms did not exert a statistically significant influence, indicating that formal and informal environmental education can positively influence food waste prevention behaviour through a combination of experiential actions and instruction. The findings of the study can inform policymaking and support the development of effective campaigns for food waste prevention at the consumption stage.

scholarly journals STUDY OF FOOD SECURITY THROUGH FOOD WASTE AND LOSS CONTROL MECHANISM IN KENYA

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 09-21
Author(s):  
Simon O Were ◽  
M N Miricho ◽  
N V Maranga
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Control Mechanism ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Food Wastes ◽  
Food Spoilage ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Loss Control ◽  
Product Specifications ◽  
Global Food

Food waste within the hospitality’s restaurant operations contribute immensely to the global food wastes, and studies reveal that it contributes 45% of wastes through food preparation and production processes, 21% through food spoilage as a result of poor storage and 34% through food leavers as observed from customer plates. Further, research confirms that food wastage has directly resulted in the starvation of over 842 million people, with over 1.3 billion tons documented as food wastages, while substantial amounts of this food waste and losses taking place within the larger hospitality restaurant’s operations. The factors influencing these food waste generation included; the type of service, the type of food served, the expected and actual numbers of customers, the season and the food service organization, which are addressed by this study in an attempt to propose ways of reducing food waste and losses, and hence promoting food security. The study narrows down to the prevention solutions approach, which was employed on the basis of; menu design, portion choices and customized dishes, use of smaller plates during service, procuring optimized quantities, proper application of product specifications, and employment of waste tracking and analytics methodologies, which when appropriately applied in the restaurant food operations business will significantly reduce food waste and losses, and by extension global food insecurity.

scholarly journals Impact of Optimized Packaging on Food Waste Prevention Potential among Consumers

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4209
Author(s):  
Gudrun Obersteiner ◽  
Marta Cociancig ◽  
Sandra Luck ◽  
Johannes Mayerhofer
Keyword(s):  
Shelf Life ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Food Packaging ◽  
Food Product ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Waste Prevention ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Product Packaging ◽  
Information Campaigns

Food and plastic waste are cited as major environmental challenges. The function of packaging is often overlooked when considering waste; however, food packaging is indispensable for hygienic protection during transport and distribution within the supply chain. An important way to prevent the premature spoilage of a variety of different food product groups is to use specially optimized packaging systems. These are able to provide a high level of protection and actively extend shelf life. However, even if novel packaging systems theoretically have great potential for waste reduction, it remains uncertain whether they will also be accepted at the consumer level and actually contribute to waste reduction within households. Three different methods were used to clarify consumers’ perceptions of optimized packaging and thus the potential impact on waste generation. General perceptions have been identified by means of quantitative research among 1117 consumers. Precise information on waste generation behavior was obtained by means of food diaries. Consumer simulations were used to analyze the extent to which optimized packaging can actually have a positive effect on food waste generation at the household level. It was found that the functionality of the packaging usually ceases with the consumer. Consumers are only marginally aware of the advantages of food product packaging in the household, and do not perceive the direct connection between packaging, freshness, shelf life, and spoilage as food waste. In general, consumers rarely or never use optimized packaging at home correctly. It could be concluded that consumers’ perceptions of optimized packaging in terms of potential food waste prevention are not pronounced. In summary, it can be stated that in contrast to its use in retail and transport, an optimization of packaging to avoid food waste for later use by the consumer only shows an effect in exceptional cases, or can only be achieved through targeted information campaigns. If this should be a focus topic in the future, either on the political or managerial level, this has to be taken into account.

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