Want to save more money in your kitchen? Cut down on food waste. Every year, the global restaurant industry produces about 1.1 million tons of waste. Spoilage, spilling, overstocking, oversized portion sizes, and food that gets sent back all contribute to this growing problem.
As a foodservice business owner, this waste is bad for the environment and your bottom line. While discarded food is an unavoidable casualty of running a commercial kitchen, there are tangible steps you can take to reduce the amount of food your establishment tosses out.
Here are some strategies to start reducing food waste today:
KEEP IT FRESH
We’ve all been there—you open a container from the fridge and are met with the smell of rancid food. Failing to have a proper storage system for all of your ingredients can lead to premature spoilage and wasted inventory, which costs you time and money to replace.
Following a method such as FIFO (first in, first out) can ensure food safety while boosting production efficiency. This stock rotation system puts food with the closest expiration dates at the front of the fridge, so that it’s used before it goes bad.
Cambro’s line of high-quality, high-performance storage products makes it easy to implement a FIFO system while extending the shelf life of your ingredients.
CAMSHELVING® PREMIUM SHELVING UNITS
This durable, modular storage system features a rust-free design with smooth surfaces that are easy to clean. You can select wire or polymer styles that encourage air circulation and reduce moisture, allowing your ingredients to stay fresh longer.
CAMSQUARES® AND CAMROUNDS® FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS
These clear, airtight storage containers come with fitted lids to prevent cross-contamination and prolong food freshness. The circular and square designs accommodate a variety of food types, from chopped greens to prepared soups.
BUH-BYE, PLATE WASTE
Regardless of how good your food is, not every diner is scraping their dish clean. By offering smaller portion sizes, you can significantly cut back on guests’ leftovers.
Standardizing your recipes, with clearly defined portion sizes and ingredient amounts, can ensure accuracy and boost efficiency during kitchen prep. Having the right portioning and prep tools will set your team up for smaller-portioned success.
STRETCH THAT SHELF LIFE
Does it feel like your fresh produce is always going bad? Having the right equipment in your commercial kitchen can help preserve perishables to extend their shelf life, improve food safety, and encourage more efficient food prep.
blast chillers
By quickly cooling the temperature of cooked food, blast chillers reduce food waste and minimize spoilage by preventing bacterial growth and preserving quality for longer.
DEHYDRATORS
Dehydrating excess fruits, vegetables, and meats can substantially extend the shelf life of perishable ingredients that would spoil quickly otherwise.
