The European Frugal project
In 2022, the European Commission launched an ambitious call for projects aimed at measuring food waste to better reduce it. Among the winners, Kikleo was selected for its innovative approach and its high impact potential.
Thanks to the support of the European program, Frugal for "Fully Autonomous Recognition System Using AI to Gather
Food Waste Measurement and Reduce Losses" was born
This subsidy notably allowed us:
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- To improve our artificial intelligence technology, by optimizing the speed and precision of automatic food recognition;
- To design and produce two devices: the Consumer Kiosk , dedicated to the analysis of food wastage in the restaurant and the Kitchen Kiosk , focused on monitoring the production waste in the kitchen;
- To roll-out a global solution, both educational and participative, combining measure, analysis and awareness of the guests and of the kitchen staff.
This European support therefore played a structuring role in accelerating our mission: to give professionals and guests the means to act concretely to reduce food waste, in particular thanks to our two new tools, the guest terminal and the kitchen terminal.
Two complementary tools for a global vision
Food waste in catering is observed on two levels: in the restaurant , where guests sometimes have leftovers and in the kitchen where losses can result from the meal preparation or management of inventory. This is why we have developed two complementary terminals.
The Consumer Kiosk
- Analyse the food leftovers on the plates
- Raising awareness of the impact of food waste in an educational and interactive way.
The Kitchen Kiosk
- Measure the losses in the kitchen (preparation, surplus, unsold)
- Encourage professionals to get involved on reducing food wastage on a daily basis
A full range for more sustainable catering
These two kiosks complete our existing offering and now give our clients access to three complementary tools:
- The Conveyor Scan analyzes the consumer's food waste on the conveyor belt
- The Consumer Kiosk analyzes food waste in the dining room
- The Kitchen Kiosk analyzes food waste in the kitchen
Hôpital Foch testifies: the tangible benefits of the Kikleo solution
One of the pilot establishments involved in this project, Hôpital Foch, has integrated the Kikleo solution into its day-to-day operations. In this video, Anne Lindemann, hospitality manager at Hôpital Foch, shares her experience and the benefits observed in the field:
" Kikleo shows us what we know but can't quantify, and it really has a huge impact on us. Guests have realized that we eat better, that it tastes better and that it's still at the same price! Her testimonial is a perfect reflection of what we aim to deliver to our customers: clarity, impact and practicality.
Since the implementation of the Kikleo solution at Foch Hospital in 2024, the staff canteen has managed to reduce food waste by 40%. This significant improvement is the result of three key actions identified through the analysis of the data collected on site:
- Limited restocking of salad bar and desserts,
- Improving the quality of certain recipes, such as vegetable macedonia and fruits in syrup,
- Adjusting the portions served
A tangible contribution to European objectives
This project is in line with Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, supported by the European Commission, which aims at reducing food waste by 50% by 2030.
Thanks to this European grant, our tools are now being deployed in over 200 restaurants, with measurable results and a tangible impact for both our clients and the environment.
Since the Kikleo solution was launched in 2022, the results achieved have been significant:
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- 240 tonnes of food has been saved from the trash, the equivalent of 400,000 meals
- 2 million euros saved by the restaurants we support
- 1000 tonnes of CO2 not issued for food waste
- and 800 million litres of water not wasted
To find out more
To find out more about the project: SMP-Food-2022-F2F-FWSTAKEHOLDERS
We would like to warmly thank the European Commission for its precious support through the subsidy received. Thanks to this opportunity, we were able to develop new tools, refine our methods and deepen our expertise.
We have compiled all the learnings taken from this experience in a white paper, which traces our journey, our progress and the best practices identified. This document is now available for download via the following link:
