How to Reduce Food Surplus, Loss and Waste in Industrial Catering

In the industrial catering service industry and other food industry-related sectors, ineffective ingredient management is a direct cause of unoptimized operating costs and reduced profits. Effective methods are therefore needed to minimize surplus food that leads to loss and waste in this industry.

Managing surplus food and losses in industrial catering services is extremely important in order to avoid waste and increase profits. Every day, each industrial catering unit produces thousands of meals for enterprises, factories, schools and more. However, without strict, scientific management, it is very easy to end up with excess food and improper use. In the article below, STAVI Industrial Catering, drawing on nearly 10 years of service experience, shares with you food management methods to reduce leftovers and losses for industrial catering service businesses.

Related articles:

• Some measures to ensure food safety and hygiene in industrial catering
• School catering provider ensuring quality and food safety and hygiene
• Fresh, clean food supplier [THE MOST TRUSTED in Vietnam]
• Revealing the criteria for choosing a GOOD food supplier

Controlling surplus food to avoid losses in industrial catering

1. How to manage food in industrial catering

To manage food in industrial catering scientifically, each operating unit needs an effective management process, especially from the ordering stage through to managing the ingredient warehouse. Below are the basic steps:

1.1. Apply appropriate storage techniques

Appropriate storage techniques can help reduce food losses. Businesses should invest in modern storage systems with temperature and humidity control to preserve food for longer.

1.2. Control food costs strictly

For a business to be profitable, calculating and balancing ingredient purchasing costs as well as fixed costs is very important. To keep food under control and avoid surplus during cooking, industrial catering service providers must carefully calculate the cost of each meal so that both the portion size and the number of meals are just right for the customer, without leaving too many meals over. Costing in industrial kitchens is the responsibility of the Head Chef or Executive Chef. They receive cost targets from the company's control board and, based on these, work out food costs, plan the menu and estimate orders. Recruiting a chef with experience in accurate menu costing is therefore extremely important, ensuring stable kitchen operations without surplus food and losses.

The Head Chef needs to calculate and estimate the quantity of ingredients to buy by day, week and month based on the number of meals confirmed. The quantity of ingredients ordered must be just enough for the kitchen's use plus sufficient reserve stock, neither too much nor too little. Accurate menu costing depends on a number of factors as follows:

• Based on the number of meals and the kitchen menu, the Head Chef must estimate the quantity of food required
• Based on the portion sizes agreed with the contracting party, calculate how much of each ingredient each dish requires
• Then balance and convert this into the quantity of each ingredient and seasoning
• The detailed dish quantity calculation sheet must also allow for ingredient wastage when planning the menu
• Determine which ingredients must be bought fresh daily and which can be stocked weekly or monthly to stabilize prices
• From this, the kitchen will have a clear plan for purchasing ingredients and food, avoiding a surplus of one ingredient and a shortage of another, while also carefully measuring during cooking so as not to produce excess meals.

Controlling surplus food to avoid losses in industrial catering

1.3. Optimize production and service processes

Businesses need to optimize their production and service processes to ensure that food is not wasted. This includes forecasting customer demand and preparing food according to actual needs.

1.4. Regulations and information sharing on surplus food

Regulations on managing surplus food and losses can be applied to ensure food sustainability and safety. Furthermore, sharing information about surplus food can help prevent food waste and ensure that unneeded food is put to other uses to avoid waste.

Managing surplus food and losses in the industrial catering industry is an important task that requires care and a love of food. By applying appropriate solutions, such as optimizing production and storage processes, enforcing regulations on surplus food, and sharing information about food losses, we can reduce food waste, help protect the environment and natural resources, ensure the sustainability of the industry and provide food to those who need it.

Controlling surplus food to avoid losses in industrial catering

2. STAVI – Leading industrial catering in Vietnam

STAVI was established in 2015 and has continuously expanded its scale as well as the quality of its services ever since. Our brand now covers the whole country, with the vast majority being large canteens serving up to thousands of people.

Through nearly 10 years of ups and downs, STAVI has overcome many difficulties and challenges to rise to become a leading, reputable industrial catering provider. STAVI holds ISO 22000:2018 and HACCP certification and carries product liability insurance for its industrial meals. Every stage at STAVI, from ingredient sourcing to preparation, is strictly managed to ensure food hygiene, working towards the goal of "bringing happy meals" to every customer.

STAVI - A reputable industrial catering provider

STAVI Industrial Catering is currently a partner of large multinational corporations such as Canon, Toyota, Hoa Phat, Esoft, Nissei, Coca Cola, Taisei, Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant, Arion... With a reputation proven and trusted by its partners, STAVI can meet every customer need, such as building menus and nutrition regimes for each industry, region and working age group. The entire process of building menus and balancing nutrition is carried out by the control board in collaboration with nutritionists, all formally trained in industrial catering nutrition.

STAVI has a high-quality workforce of hundreds of employees at facilities across the country. With a strict recruitment process, all of our staff are professionally qualified and receive regular training to acquire new knowledge so they can handle their work in the best way. As a result, our workforce is always stable and stays with the company for the long term, ensuring smooth operations. STAVI aims not only to be a partner, but also to accompany businesses in building sustainable development, based on the core value of "happy people", always maintaining its performance and winning over more and more demanding partners from Japan, Korea, the USA, Taiwan, China...

If your business is looking for a leading, reputable industrial catering provider in Da Nang in Vietnam, explore STAVI's services and contact us right away to experience our professional, high-quality and dedicated service. With the motto "Putting customers at the center", industrial catering provider STAVI looks forward to cooperating with and accompanying your business.