Revealed: The true cost of food waste in the food service industry

waste food

A recent scheme was unveiled by the environment secretary, Michael Gove, announcing a £15m investment working with businesses and charities to redistribute food that would usually go to waste.

This crackdown on food waste will create 250 million extra meals each year for those who are most in need.

The pilot scheme will involve food manufacturers and retailers – accounting for 30% of UK food waste, however, one million tonnes of food waste is also disposed of by the hospitality and food service industry, comprised of; pubs, restaurants, fast food outlets and hotels.

As well as the environmental impact of this waste, the disposal of food waste costs the UK hospitality and food service sector an estimated £2.5 billion per year.

UK e-learning provider and food industry experts Virtual College, are looking to raise awareness of the issues surrounding food waste and sustainability in the food service industry.

Renford Nelson at Virtual Collegecommented, “Reducing food waste is hugely important for our environment and the redistribution of food can make real positive changes to society, it is crucial that the food industry takes action to tackle this issue.”

“We have trained over 750,000 food and drink experts across hospitality, catering, and manufacturing, on topics such as food safety and management. There are many small changes businesses can make to their day-to-day running that can have a big impact, such as following correct food storage procedures and smart menu planning.”

For businesses interested in reducing food waste, you can find out more about in Virtual College’s resource section on the website here.

Or take this quiz to find out how sustainable and environmentally ethical is your food business?