The Great Taste – Zero Waste Manifesto is a free guide on how to prevent and reduce food waste. It was designed to help you upgrade your professional practice and business. The potential of today’s waste is still untapped. It is high time we put our resources to work, to build value and create… great taste!

The goal

The main goal of The Manifesto is to create an open-source platform where chefs and gastronomy professionals can learn, draw inspiration, and share their best practices to fight against food waste. The Manifesto provides 10 main guidelines and a handful of practical tips for HoReCa professionals on how to fully leverage the limited resources and, at the same time, create food that tastes great.

The Manifesto was created in collaboration with gastronomy professionals. Its guidelines and tips were based on the knowledge and experience of a team of experts from seven countries in the Baltic Sea region. It is our hope that the Manifesto will outlive itself. We wish that in the future it will be self-evident for the food service sector to track and reduce food waste on a daily basis and to make the best of all the produce. Even a small, first step matters! May reducing food waste become a habit of gastronomy professionals, so that they contribute to a more sustainable food system.

Food waste is any edible food removed from the food supply chain to be disposed of (FAO, 2019). In other words, it is any food that is intended for, but not used for human consumption.

In HoReCa, food waste can be divided into kitchen waste (surplus ingredients used to prepare meals) and plate waste (meal leftovers).

Facts and figures on food waste

It is estimated that approximately 1.3 billion tons of food, or a third of the world’s provisions, are lost every year (FAO, 2019) This is an equivalent to approximately 10% of the world's CO2 emissions, which is four times more than those generated by the aviation industry. Economically speaking, 2.6 trillion dollars are lost annually because of wasted food (FAO, 2019). From an environmental perspective, if food loss and waste were a country, it would be the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (Zhongming, 2021).

Moreover, the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2021 estimated that 26% of all food waste generated in 2019 came from the food service. This includes restaurants, catering, and hospitality enterprises (HoReCa) (Zhongming, 2021).

Causes of food waste in HoReCa

The reasons why food is wasted are different at each stage of the food supply chain. However, most of the problems are rooted in lack of organization and preparation in various aspects of running a gastronomy establishment.

Here are some common mistakes that contribute to food waste, according to FAO (2019):

• Improper forecasting: underestimating demand or overstocking supplies.

• Insufficient staffing: either having too few or too many employees for the level of business.

• Poor menu design: offering dishes that are too complicated, not cost-effective, or don't appeal to the target market.

• Inadequate kitchen and service infrastructure: lack of equipment or space to efficiently prepare and serve food.

• Neglecting to plan for special events or peak times, resulting in service disruptions or a drop in quality.

• Ignoring market trends and customer preferences, which leads to a lack of innovation and relevance.

• Lack of attention to food safety and hygiene, which can harm the reputation of the establishment and lead to health issues for customers.

• Neglecting to budget for necessary expenses, such as repairs, maintenance and replacements of equipment.

• Confusing expiration and preferred consumption date labels.

As gastronomy professionals, we know that every ingredient counts. But in a world where people still struggle with hunger and malnutrition, wasting food is not only a significant economic loss, but is also unethical and unfair conduct on part of the HoReCa sector. Food waste is also an unjustifiable mismanagement of resources, such as water, energy and land.

There are various causes of food waste, but many of them are rooted in lack of organization and preparation. However, inefficient food handling, overproduction, and inaccurate ordering can be easily changed by building awareness and introducing thoughtful modifications.

Gastronomy professionals have the power to make a difference. By wise planning and rational use of resources, a common ground can be created between staff and guests. By reducing food waste, a professional kitchen can tangibly improve labor efficiency in a workplace, control stock, cut costs and increase revenue, while ensuring positive customer experience.

Actions to prevent food waste are not only cost-oriented. They can be used as the foundation for a profitable, sustainable business model that reduces harmful environmental effects and promotes social responsibility.

Let`s join the forces and combat the food waste step by step.

May the food be with you, and not with the trash!

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