Kirsi Silvennoinen, LUKE - Mapping the Food Waste in Service Sector and Restaurants – Diversity in the Nordic Countries

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Kirsi Silvennoinen 18.3.2016 Luonnonvarakeskus Luke

Mapping the food waste in hospitality sector - diversity in the Nordic countries

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Foodspill -study 2010 - 2012


Ravitsemispalvelut Restaurant and catering services

Ruokahävikin jaottelu ravintoloissa: keittiöhävikki, tarjoiluhävikki, lautastähteet

Outlet Quantity

Schools 30

Day care center 14

Workplace restaurants and canteens 5

Hospitals, elderly service centres 6

Restaurants, diners, hotels 9

Cafes, petrol stations, fast food restaurants 8

Total 72

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Study methods

•The food waste was divided into two categories

1. Avoidable food waste• e.g. spoiled products,

overproduction2. Unavoidable food waste

• e.g. vegetable peels and bones•For weighing and sorting the avoidable food waste was divided into three categories:

– kitchen waste, service waste, leftovers

•Workshops for personnel

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The amount of food waste in the outlets covered by the study, extrapolated to describe annual food waste for the whole restaurant sector


Estimate of food waste in restaurants and food services and its sources. Food waste of the research period has been extrapolated to reflect the whole restaurant sector (presentage from food produced)


Conclusions• The main challenges in reducing food waste will be

minimizing the service waste– Could be achieved by having a good estimate of number of clients

and more careful menu planning– Getting to know the clientele and interacting with them– Cooking in stages– Identifying correct portion sizes (hospitals)

• Other ways to control food waste – Focusing on the improvements in the management– Weighing and documenting food waste data,

• Which helps to identify the restaurant’s food waste sources and forms a basis for finding solutions

• This cannot be substituted by personnel estimates of food waste, as those estimates usually reflect poorly the actual amounts

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Total volume of avoidable food waste about 450 million kilos in a year, 10 - 15 % of food consumed (85 kg/year/pp)

Lähteet: MTT Foodspill (e.g. Katajajuuri et al. 2014, Silvennoinen et al. 2014)


Diversity in Nordic countries?

• Only few studies about amounts of food waste

• Sweden: Large scale kitchens 58 000 ton– SE 6,1kg/pp/year FI 6,9 kg/pp/year

• Denmark: hospitals food waste about 30%

• Nordic Council study: about 18% in Nordic countries, FI 20%

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Needs for further study and actions

• Harmonisation of food waste volume research and measurement methods and related practices in different stages of food chain – definitions!

• More detailed, primary data on food waste in the food chain

• Food waste prevention in all sub-sectors; innovations, best suitable prevention strategies, guidelines for minimisation of food waste, policy approaches, charity options

• EU Fusions project (2012-2016) tries to reach most of these goals

– 21 partners from 13 countries working together to reduce food waste

‘Working towards a 50 per cent drop in food waste’


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Ruokahävikin ja biojätteen vähentäminen, mittaaminen sekä seuranta: kotitaloudet ja ravitsemispalvelut1.1.2016–28.2.2017

Kirsi SilvennoinenTutkija, LukePuh 040 1794875

WASTESTIMATOR


Project WASTESTIMATOR• 1.1.2016–28.2.2017• Households, food service sector• Target to develop a new tool to estimate and monitor

food waste• Forum for food service sector:

– All kind of restaurants and food service outlets– Possibility to get new information, materials for

campaings and for measurements• Registration https://www.lyyti.in/ravintolafoorumi-kutsu

12 01.05.23Teppo Tutkija

https://www.lyyti.in/ravintolafoorumi-kutsu

© Luonnonvarakeskus13 01.05.23Teppo Tutkija