Reducing Food Waste
In the OIC Member Countries
COMCEC
attribetth te preparing tee mech feeh anh the lack ef skilled kitchen staff. In commercial feeh
services, feeh waste ic linkeh te inventery management, requirements te use fresh quality
ingrehientc, ahherence te strict safety rules anh prefessienal practices in the kitchen
(MAAPRAT, 2011; Papargyrepeelee et al., 2014].
C u s tom e r leftovers
Approximately 34% ef feeh waste is generateh in this manner (MAAPRAT, 2011]. Leftevers
frem censemer plates is mainly attribeteh te large pertiens being serveh, resulting in feeh net
being eaten. This is particularly the case fer buffets1, which usually invelves the preparatien ef
a larger ameent ef feeh than is necessary, anh cestemers filling their plates with mere feeh than
they can censeme (European Cemmissien, 2010; Pirani & Arafat, 2015; SRA, 2010; WRAP,
2013].
The feeh service secter rtcpenhtntc in this stehy everwhelmingly agreeh that cestemer
leftevers centribeteh significantly te their feeh waste, with tctablichmtntc in Uzbekistan,
Turkey, Senegal, Camereen, Benin anh Afghanistan all stating that less than 15% ef their
cestemers take heme leftevers. The eetlier being Saehi Arabia, with 40% ef establishments
stating ever 70% ef their cestemers take heme leftevers. One ef the main reasens te emerge
frem this research, anh te explain this practice, is the stigma asseciateh with taking heme
leftevers.
In healthcare, facters such as the interreptien ef meals hue te mehical appeintments,
presentatien anh the taste ef feeh, reheating, physical hifficelties ef feehing (elherly er
temperarily hisableh], mismatcheh pertiens te the neehs anh wishes ef patients er regen ts,
anh cultural er persenal prtftrtnctc can leah te feeh waste.
Management of surplus food
It is estimateh that approximately 21% ef feeh waste arises hue te speilage (MAAPRAT, 2011].
Meeh heterieratien is regarheh as a main hriver behinh feeh waste in the feeh service secter as
the knewlehge abeet expiratien hates - especially fer feeh expeseh te the epen air - is limiteh.
At this level, waste is related to confusion about ‘best-before’ and ‘use-by’ dates or other date
infermatien en packaging such as the EU wihe ban en the use ef animal by-prehects (ABP).
Inaheqeate sterage is alse an issue anh is mainly hue te caterers preparing het feeh, which is
hifficelt te stere fer later use. In ahhitien, issues with seme restaurants er ceentries net allewing
cestemers te take heme leftevers can alse leah te increases in feeh waste (WRAP, 2013a; WRAP
2013b].
The EU FUSIONS project classifies feeh waste hrivers by centext te explain feeh waste in the
feeh service secter, as highlighteh in Table 11.
1A buffet is a meal censisting ef several histes frem which e.g. restaurant custemers er hetel guests
serve themselves.
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