Why is food waste the major issue in collective catering?
What is food waste?
According to the national "anti-waste" pact, food waste corresponds to "any food intended for human consumption which at any stage of the food chain is lost, thrown away, degraded" .
In France, 10 million tons of food are wasted each year, including 540,000 tons in institutional catering. As you can see, these figures are alarming, especially considering that 10 million people in France live below the poverty line. On average, it is estimated that 20% of food is thrown away, and the annual weight of food waste amounts to 10 million tons. Individually, this represents 155 kg of food thrown away per person per year.
Institutional catering is part of a broader sector known as food service (restaurants, cafeterias, etc.), distinguished by its social nature, which aims to provide meals for a specific community. Who is involved? University restaurants such as those run by CROUS (Regional Centers for Student Services), company restaurants, hospitals, school cafeterias, and prisons. These organizations, depending on their target audience/type of diners, are more or less prone to food waste. According to a study by ADEME (French Agency for Ecological Transition), the restaurants with the highest levels of food waste are those in hospitals, nursing homes (EHPADs), and elementary schools.
But where does this significant waste come from? One of the main causes is the mismatch between what restaurants offer and what diners demand. The poor quality of the offering can stem from various factors, such as: unsuitable or low-quality products, poor inventory management, limited menu variety, portion size issues, delivery problems, or even problems with appearance standards. All of these factors have significant consequences for food service establishments.
The three main challenges of food waste in institutional catering
The economic aspect
Food waste is a significant economic issue. In France, the economic losses caused by food waste amount to €16 billion each year . To illustrate this figure, "It's as if every French person throws €108 in the trash every year." This food waste has consequences at every stage of the food production chain, from farmers' incomes to landfill disposal, which costs an average of €80 per ton of food waste. Ultimately, reducing food waste could lead to a real decrease in monetary losses related to production, transportation, and processing.
Institutional catering serves an average of 3.4 billion meals per year, making it one of the sectors most affected by food waste. On average, this waste can be up to four times greater than in households.
This represents approximately 120 grams per person per meal, and in terms of economic losses, this amounts to 68 cents per tray per diner. Furthermore, there are several other costs, notably that of raw materials. On average, establishments spend around €1.90 per meal on raw materials. These figures vary, as many factors come into play and can influence the rate of food waste. For example, satellite kitchens experience 65% more waste than on-site kitchens.
Reducing food waste saves money that could be reinvested in higher-quality products (organic/local) or other projects. According to the Boréal program, if a school reduces its food waste by a third, it could save an average of €30 per student per year. This also creates new jobs by valorizing waste. It's what we call a virtuous cycle of food! In conclusion, food waste is costly and hinders the development of new activities that could be very profitable for restaurant owners.
The ecological aspect
Today, the food sector has a carbon footprint that is the third most harmful to the environment after transportation and housing. The food sector therefore contributes to the worsening climate crisis and affects the entire food production chain, from yields to supply chains.
Regarding institutional catering, 540,000 tons of food are wasted, representing 8% of total French food waste. On average, an institutional catering establishment produces 144 grams of biowaste per meal, including 113 grams of food loss and therefore food waste. On average, each meal results in the emission of 2.5 kg of CO2.
The institutional catering sector is also a major waste of water, with an estimated average consumption of between 10 and 20 liters per meal. This generates wastewater laden with grease, which in the long term contributes to significant pollution. Furthermore, institutional catering also contributes to the overexploitation of agricultural land. We use 28% of the world's agricultural land to produce food that will not be consumed.
Today, reducing our impact has become a priority for preserving our biodiversity and species. Fighting food waste therefore means fully embracing the role of a driver of the ecological transition. To achieve this, it is essential to first conduct a carbon footprint assessment of your restaurant.
The legislative aspect
For several years, government policies have been recognizing the importance of food waste; below is a summary of the most important laws:
- In 2015, the law relating to energy transition was put in place to combat food waste.
- In 2016, the Garot law supplemented the 2015 law.
- In 2018, the Agriculture and Organic Law “requires public collective catering to source at least 50% of products from organic farming from 2022”.
- In 2019, the Egalim Law was enacted to implement a diagnostic that would allow it to measure the commitment of collective restaurants in the fight against food waste.
In conclusion, institutional catering plays a major role in reducing food waste, particularly through its significant influence on both the food sector and consumer attitudes. To address these three levels, a precise diagnosis is essential to determine the causes of food waste. This is why Kikleo supports you by offering a detailed and comprehensive analysis of your losses using innovative technological tools.
Sources: A deme ; Restauration 21 ; Api-site.paris ; Ecologie.gouv.fr .
FOR A BETTER FUTURE
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