Internal Operations are another factors.
STORAGE/INVENTORY
Harvest losses have several causes, including bad timing and poor conditions during the
harvest as well as inadequate techniques and equipment. Similarly, lack of good infrastructure for
transportation, storage, cooling, and marketing cause food to spoil, especially in hot climates, and
one major front for action in the effort to reduce food wastage is developing better food harvest,
17
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
storage, processing, transport, and retailing processes (Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, 2017). According to Lee (2015), the type of wrapping that is used on products
also helps ensure a longer shelf life. An example would be the improved rice-storage bags in the
Philippines which has helped cut losses of that staple grain by 15 percent as stated by the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2017).
Moreover, according to Tuppen (2014), 21% of the food waste generated in hotels’ food
services come from Spoilage. He suggested that in order to prevent spoilage, ensure that the
stock is rotated as new deliveries come in and it is stocked correctly. Also, based on Shakman’s
observation, CEO of LeanPath, most pre-consumer food waste is due to four factors and two of
those are expiration and spoilage. Additionally, Shakman advised that training staff to obtain the
First In, First out storage method which would help in ensuring that the products will be utilized
before its expiration (as cited by National Restaurants Association, 2012). Likewise, as said by
Gordon Food Service (2014a), managing inventory should do the job of reducing food spoilage
and overstocking which then results to food waste.
MEAL PLANNING
Also, as stated by Hogan (2016), food service operations are often high-intensity, high
pressure environments because there are quotas to meet, quality to uphold, and regulations to
comply with. Meal planning is known to be one of the most crucial steps in a food business for it
will determine not only the success of the enterprise, but also the amount of income generated
by it. Food preparation is said to be one of the major contributors of food waste with the rate of
45% (Tuppen, 2014). Portion sizing, meal presentation, and repurposing of ingredients is said to
be great sources of food waste (King, 2014). Along with it is the offering of wide options of menu
18
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
and the manner of restaurants prepping and cooking more than needed together with the concern
of over-merchandising in order to provide all the demands of the customers, which will result to
waste (National Restaurant Association, 2012; Hogan, 2016).
Food considered as plate fillers like chips, vegetables, and salads are most likely to remain
uneaten. Some also thought of salad garnishes as ornamental, rather than something to eat as
stated by King (2014). And in the kitchen, coming up with innovative ways of repurposing chicken,
beef, vegetables, or other foods that weren’t used the day before can reduce food spoilage at the
preparation stage, cited by Lee (2015). Rodriguez (2015a) also said that restaurant kitchens
should be more creative in modifying clean leftovers from their supply. Planning of meals to be
served such as monitoring the trimmings of products and being creative with leftovers such as
turning torn-off carrot tops into culinary delights will help in cutting costs and wastes (National
Restaurant Association, 2012). Cutting back on preparation mistakes that lead to wasted food
could be lessened through giving assistance with the kitchen crews in more accurate food
preparation (SICOM, 2017). Rodriguez (2015a) stated that restaurant kitchens should be more
creative in modifying clean leftovers from their supply. In addition, by addressing the provision
and communication of different portion sizes, both technically with industry and behaviorally with
staff and customers, we can achieve cleaner plates at the end of a meal out (King, 2014).
According to Gibble in 2010, if you buy more than what you can use before it spoils, your attempt
to save money has actually resulted in wasted food and fiscal loss. Reduction efforts should also
include meal forecasting. Some of the most preferred action is reducing the volume of surplus
19
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
food generated that means adapting supply to meet the expected demand for food more precisely
(Kline, 2017). It was also proposed by SICOM (2017) that aligning preparation and cooking
practices with demand patterns will reduce waste and shortage. It was also stated that a
restaurant should have cycle menus to make it easier to establish a par level (minimum quantity
needed in your inventory in time for the next delivery) (Gordon Food Service, 2014b). It was also
stated by Tuppen (2014) that in ordering and menu planning, using pre-prepared, frozen or dried
ingredients can reduce wastage as well as familiarizing with reservations forecasts, keeping the
menu simple and offering customers different portion sizes was advised by the author. According
to Joseph (2016b), restaurants additionally do not offer food sizes that are adaptable by each
customer since the advantage is not seen by the restaurants.
STAFF ENGAGEMENT
Furthermore, lack of awareness about the issue of food waste and management’s
measures regarding the problem among the staff and crew could lead to more wastage. As an
example, stated by Cook (2016), in order to satisfy customers, some restaurants tend to fill the
pans even right before the closing despite the fact of preparing food more than needed. In
addition, considering the satisfaction of customers which means that restaurants ensure they give
the same experience to first and last one to enter their door and the need to maintain their service
and selection from open to close creates waste. Also, some food service operators take in the
practice of minimizing their labour costs which means they will produce in large batches, requiring
less time investment for staff, which eventually will turn into waste (Hogan, 2016).
20
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
Along with this is the knowledge team members should have (Gordon Food Service,
2014c). The hardest part for many restaurants may just be getting the workers to become aware
of how much edible food they waste every day (Barclay, 2012a). Thus, Tuppen (2014) suggested
that staff training and communication regarding your waste reduction and management strategy
is the key. Engage staff to recycle more by helping them understand which waste goes to bins.
Also, assisting staffs in preparation to cut back mistakes in kitchen was advised by SICOM (2017).
In contradiction to the factors mentioned above, some other aspects emerged which states
that food waste from casual dining restaurants come from customers themselves. These factors
are named as Consumer Habits and Legalities (Cons).
CONSUMER HABITS
As stated by Joseph (2016a), a major source of food waste is food that is left on the plate
of customers. According to King (2014), the reason for leaving food is more complex with a mix
of habits, values, and social norms all at play. Customer engagement and interest is a key element
for wasted food reduction in restaurants (Lee, 2015). One factor that often contributes to food
waste by consumers is confusion over sell-by and best-before dates, noted by the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2017).
Also, wasteful consumption habits are some of the reasons behind food waste among
developing countries (Rodriguez, 2015b). According to Barclay (2012b), these habits are harder
21
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
to change than the menu. The bottomline of doing anything to benefit the planet is changing
mindsets, changing behaviors.
LEGALITIES
Moreover, confusing food safety policies is considered as another food waste driver. To
comply with the food safety regulations, operators establish margin of errors for food safety. What
can end up happening in the pursuit of compliance with food safety policies is that operations
might create waste if they are following rules without applying their own rationale (Hogan, 2016).
Also, restrictions with regards to the legalities and availability of local services will affect your
choice of options on where to bring your leftovers and food waste (Tuppen, 2014). Some 63
percent of food manufacturers say there are barriers to food waste recycling, including the limited
availability of recycling facilities, transportation costs associated with long travel distances, strict
internal requirements for food waste handling, liability concerns and regulatory requirements that
limit the reuse of certain types of food waste. Each department within a store has its own food
diversion requirement that they need to comply to. Companies with franchise-based business
models also face challenges to centrally track food waste and institute system-wide food waste
programs (Hower, 2014).
22
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES
In accordance to the factors identified as pros, researches related to the study
acknowledged the same factors as the culprit on most of the food waste generated in casual
dining restaurants.
STORAGE/INVENTORY
Food waste arises from food preparation and spoilage, a total of 66% of the UK Hospitality
and Food Service sector's food waste (Wrap Research, 2005a). Based on the inquiry done by
Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez (2016), in the storage process, stock management and permanent
control were mentioned as a critical issue. The FIFO or the First In, First Out system should always
be used, best before dates should systematically be revised and technology-related issues such
as the availability of vacuum packaging equipment to preserve food leftovers better should be
monitored by the food service providers. Additionally, it is important to remember the relevance
of controlling both primary and secondary expiry dates (Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez, 2016). In
terms of date labelling, checking expiration dates appears to depend on food category.
Consumers check expiration dates frequently for products in which a decrease in quality is risked
and for products with which they have experience of usage according to Sustainability (2015).
MEAL PLANNING
In addition, according to the study of Lee (2015), college students perceived that better
food quality and menu options are key factors, which could be the answer in reducing food waste
23
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
in university dining settings. Also, results showed that small serving sizes, better food options,
better food quality and value of meal plan are main factors of food waste.
On the other hand, based on the research of Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez (2016) in the
procurement process, mistakes in demand planning are responsible for an important part of food
waste in Spanish food service businesses. Deep historical data analysis and the use of advanced
demand planning software were mentioned as best practices to address the issue. Menu
management was also mentioned as another key issue: the wider the menu offered, the more
difficult it becomes to minimize waste. It is recommended to plan menus in creative ways such as
including dishes that use ingredients that would otherwise be discarded, for example, for being
leftovers of other plates on the menu. For catering companies, smart menu planning is advised,
which is defined as the use of ingredients left from one day in the menu of the following day. Also,
collaboration with suppliers with the objective of adapting formats to customers’ needs, as well as
the use of packaged portions or frozen solutions, were suggested as the best practices to address
the issue.
In addition, according to Balakrishnan, director and founder of Eatonline Asia, as food
prices are high, and they cannot always pass on the cost to the consumers. In order to reduce
waste, innovative cooking methods such as using a base ingredient common to many dishes can
be considered to address the issue. Also, he suggested that restaurants or food service providers
can reduce waste in the long run if they will make an effort to prepare, bearing in mind consumer
demand (as cited in Ghandi and Singh, 2015, p.11).
24
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
STAFF ENGAGEMENT
Additionally, according to Maguire (2016), poor management skills can be a driver of
restaurant food waste, indicating that simply having the data on food waste is not enough to
change restaurant waste practices.
Referring to the study by Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez (2016) in the cooking process,
training and consciousness of employees on waste allegedly makes a huge difference. Raising
awareness on how much food is wasted daily was claimed as the key issue. It is mentioned that
it is relevant to share the results of measurement with employees. Also, suggested sales by
waiters is another tool that is frequently used by restaurants in which the waiters get instructions
to recommend specific dishes when there is risk of high pre-consumer waste. This could be taken
into account in dealing with the issue (Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez, 2016). Moreover,
respondents from the study of Lee (2015) suggested that skilled employees may produce a better
quality of food and contribute in lessening food waste. Wrap Research (2005b) added that one
should measure food waste by reviewing waste data regularly and training their staff to do so.
Meanwhile, according to a study conducted by Food Waste IE (2010a), a recycling system can
lead to a 44% reduction in waste costs.
25
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
In refutation to some researcher’s claim that food waste from casual dining restaurants
come from their internal operations, other factors claim that customers are still the one to blame.
The cons are as follows:
CONSUMER HABIT
According to Nicole and Nicolas Ng, founders of Food Bank in Singapore, the biggest
challenge is changing the mindset of the people toward food waste (as cited in Ghandi and Singh,
2015, p.10). Plate waste resulted to 30% of the total kilos wasted. The biggest losses come from
fruits and cooked dishes. It was said that the negligent behavior by the consumers, especially in
developed countries, is said to be caused by the illusion of abundance within their country. Also,
lack of awareness of the social impact of food wastage and being completely ignorant about the
other parts of the world suffering undernourishment contributes as well as the said behavior.
Further, Strasser (2014) interestingly underlines that this is of special relevance in the food service
sector as we tend to undervalue food that is not prepared by ourselves or by our loved ones (as
cited in Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez, 2016, p.6). Also, it was stated that the excessive quantities
of food waste may arise due to over-ordering by consumers (Food Waste IE, 2010b).
Also, regarding consumer food provisioning in terms of purchasing, a U.S. experiment
found that consumers show little tolerance for visual imperfections, but those with higher
environmental concerns are more tolerant (Sustainability, 2015).
26
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
LEGALITIES
On the other hand, some countries are adapting the practice of donation for those who
are hungry and for animal feed but others don’t due to legalities. Some of the reasons cited by
retailers and other food service organizations for lack of donations were fear of food poisoning,
legal implications of distributing spoiled food, tarnishing of provider’s brand image, lack of
knowledge of customer preferences, and the likes (Ghandi and Singh, 2015). Collection
authorities have responsibilities to businesses with regards to waste (Wrap Research, 2011)
OTHER FACTORS
Lastly, restaurants are wasting money by not addressing waste (Eco Coach, 2012). In
conclusion of the study of Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez (2016), the higher the cost of food waste
is for firms, the higher their interest will be in reducing it. Whenever measures are not taken, it is
usually due to: (1) Its low visibility or low awareness of waste; (2) marketing issues related with
the economic results- expected sales decrease when reducing waste; or (3) because waste is
produced once food has been sold (post-consumer waste). Food service operators in our
research considered plate waste as the consumers’ decision and thus, they do not measure it as
they consider it has no effect on their financial results for it is already “sold”.
STORAGE/INVENTORY
Harvest losses have several causes, including bad timing and poor conditions during the
harvest as well as inadequate techniques and equipment. Similarly, lack of good infrastructure for
transportation, storage, cooling, and marketing cause food to spoil, especially in hot climates, and
one major front for action in the effort to reduce food wastage is developing better food harvest,
17
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
storage, processing, transport, and retailing processes (Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, 2017). According to Lee (2015), the type of wrapping that is used on products
also helps ensure a longer shelf life. An example would be the improved rice-storage bags in the
Philippines which has helped cut losses of that staple grain by 15 percent as stated by the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2017).
Moreover, according to Tuppen (2014), 21% of the food waste generated in hotels’ food
services come from Spoilage. He suggested that in order to prevent spoilage, ensure that the
stock is rotated as new deliveries come in and it is stocked correctly. Also, based on Shakman’s
observation, CEO of LeanPath, most pre-consumer food waste is due to four factors and two of
those are expiration and spoilage. Additionally, Shakman advised that training staff to obtain the
First In, First out storage method which would help in ensuring that the products will be utilized
before its expiration (as cited by National Restaurants Association, 2012). Likewise, as said by
Gordon Food Service (2014a), managing inventory should do the job of reducing food spoilage
and overstocking which then results to food waste.
MEAL PLANNING
Also, as stated by Hogan (2016), food service operations are often high-intensity, high
pressure environments because there are quotas to meet, quality to uphold, and regulations to
comply with. Meal planning is known to be one of the most crucial steps in a food business for it
will determine not only the success of the enterprise, but also the amount of income generated
by it. Food preparation is said to be one of the major contributors of food waste with the rate of
45% (Tuppen, 2014). Portion sizing, meal presentation, and repurposing of ingredients is said to
be great sources of food waste (King, 2014). Along with it is the offering of wide options of menu
18
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
and the manner of restaurants prepping and cooking more than needed together with the concern
of over-merchandising in order to provide all the demands of the customers, which will result to
waste (National Restaurant Association, 2012; Hogan, 2016).
Food considered as plate fillers like chips, vegetables, and salads are most likely to remain
uneaten. Some also thought of salad garnishes as ornamental, rather than something to eat as
stated by King (2014). And in the kitchen, coming up with innovative ways of repurposing chicken,
beef, vegetables, or other foods that weren’t used the day before can reduce food spoilage at the
preparation stage, cited by Lee (2015). Rodriguez (2015a) also said that restaurant kitchens
should be more creative in modifying clean leftovers from their supply. Planning of meals to be
served such as monitoring the trimmings of products and being creative with leftovers such as
turning torn-off carrot tops into culinary delights will help in cutting costs and wastes (National
Restaurant Association, 2012). Cutting back on preparation mistakes that lead to wasted food
could be lessened through giving assistance with the kitchen crews in more accurate food
preparation (SICOM, 2017). Rodriguez (2015a) stated that restaurant kitchens should be more
creative in modifying clean leftovers from their supply. In addition, by addressing the provision
and communication of different portion sizes, both technically with industry and behaviorally with
staff and customers, we can achieve cleaner plates at the end of a meal out (King, 2014).
According to Gibble in 2010, if you buy more than what you can use before it spoils, your attempt
to save money has actually resulted in wasted food and fiscal loss. Reduction efforts should also
include meal forecasting. Some of the most preferred action is reducing the volume of surplus
19
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
food generated that means adapting supply to meet the expected demand for food more precisely
(Kline, 2017). It was also proposed by SICOM (2017) that aligning preparation and cooking
practices with demand patterns will reduce waste and shortage. It was also stated that a
restaurant should have cycle menus to make it easier to establish a par level (minimum quantity
needed in your inventory in time for the next delivery) (Gordon Food Service, 2014b). It was also
stated by Tuppen (2014) that in ordering and menu planning, using pre-prepared, frozen or dried
ingredients can reduce wastage as well as familiarizing with reservations forecasts, keeping the
menu simple and offering customers different portion sizes was advised by the author. According
to Joseph (2016b), restaurants additionally do not offer food sizes that are adaptable by each
customer since the advantage is not seen by the restaurants.
STAFF ENGAGEMENT
Furthermore, lack of awareness about the issue of food waste and management’s
measures regarding the problem among the staff and crew could lead to more wastage. As an
example, stated by Cook (2016), in order to satisfy customers, some restaurants tend to fill the
pans even right before the closing despite the fact of preparing food more than needed. In
addition, considering the satisfaction of customers which means that restaurants ensure they give
the same experience to first and last one to enter their door and the need to maintain their service
and selection from open to close creates waste. Also, some food service operators take in the
practice of minimizing their labour costs which means they will produce in large batches, requiring
less time investment for staff, which eventually will turn into waste (Hogan, 2016).
20
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
Along with this is the knowledge team members should have (Gordon Food Service,
2014c). The hardest part for many restaurants may just be getting the workers to become aware
of how much edible food they waste every day (Barclay, 2012a). Thus, Tuppen (2014) suggested
that staff training and communication regarding your waste reduction and management strategy
is the key. Engage staff to recycle more by helping them understand which waste goes to bins.
Also, assisting staffs in preparation to cut back mistakes in kitchen was advised by SICOM (2017).
In contradiction to the factors mentioned above, some other aspects emerged which states
that food waste from casual dining restaurants come from customers themselves. These factors
are named as Consumer Habits and Legalities (Cons).
CONSUMER HABITS
As stated by Joseph (2016a), a major source of food waste is food that is left on the plate
of customers. According to King (2014), the reason for leaving food is more complex with a mix
of habits, values, and social norms all at play. Customer engagement and interest is a key element
for wasted food reduction in restaurants (Lee, 2015). One factor that often contributes to food
waste by consumers is confusion over sell-by and best-before dates, noted by the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2017).
Also, wasteful consumption habits are some of the reasons behind food waste among
developing countries (Rodriguez, 2015b). According to Barclay (2012b), these habits are harder
21
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
to change than the menu. The bottomline of doing anything to benefit the planet is changing
mindsets, changing behaviors.
LEGALITIES
Moreover, confusing food safety policies is considered as another food waste driver. To
comply with the food safety regulations, operators establish margin of errors for food safety. What
can end up happening in the pursuit of compliance with food safety policies is that operations
might create waste if they are following rules without applying their own rationale (Hogan, 2016).
Also, restrictions with regards to the legalities and availability of local services will affect your
choice of options on where to bring your leftovers and food waste (Tuppen, 2014). Some 63
percent of food manufacturers say there are barriers to food waste recycling, including the limited
availability of recycling facilities, transportation costs associated with long travel distances, strict
internal requirements for food waste handling, liability concerns and regulatory requirements that
limit the reuse of certain types of food waste. Each department within a store has its own food
diversion requirement that they need to comply to. Companies with franchise-based business
models also face challenges to centrally track food waste and institute system-wide food waste
programs (Hower, 2014).
22
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES
In accordance to the factors identified as pros, researches related to the study
acknowledged the same factors as the culprit on most of the food waste generated in casual
dining restaurants.
STORAGE/INVENTORY
Food waste arises from food preparation and spoilage, a total of 66% of the UK Hospitality
and Food Service sector's food waste (Wrap Research, 2005a). Based on the inquiry done by
Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez (2016), in the storage process, stock management and permanent
control were mentioned as a critical issue. The FIFO or the First In, First Out system should always
be used, best before dates should systematically be revised and technology-related issues such
as the availability of vacuum packaging equipment to preserve food leftovers better should be
monitored by the food service providers. Additionally, it is important to remember the relevance
of controlling both primary and secondary expiry dates (Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez, 2016). In
terms of date labelling, checking expiration dates appears to depend on food category.
Consumers check expiration dates frequently for products in which a decrease in quality is risked
and for products with which they have experience of usage according to Sustainability (2015).
MEAL PLANNING
In addition, according to the study of Lee (2015), college students perceived that better
food quality and menu options are key factors, which could be the answer in reducing food waste
23
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
in university dining settings. Also, results showed that small serving sizes, better food options,
better food quality and value of meal plan are main factors of food waste.
On the other hand, based on the research of Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez (2016) in the
procurement process, mistakes in demand planning are responsible for an important part of food
waste in Spanish food service businesses. Deep historical data analysis and the use of advanced
demand planning software were mentioned as best practices to address the issue. Menu
management was also mentioned as another key issue: the wider the menu offered, the more
difficult it becomes to minimize waste. It is recommended to plan menus in creative ways such as
including dishes that use ingredients that would otherwise be discarded, for example, for being
leftovers of other plates on the menu. For catering companies, smart menu planning is advised,
which is defined as the use of ingredients left from one day in the menu of the following day. Also,
collaboration with suppliers with the objective of adapting formats to customers’ needs, as well as
the use of packaged portions or frozen solutions, were suggested as the best practices to address
the issue.
In addition, according to Balakrishnan, director and founder of Eatonline Asia, as food
prices are high, and they cannot always pass on the cost to the consumers. In order to reduce
waste, innovative cooking methods such as using a base ingredient common to many dishes can
be considered to address the issue. Also, he suggested that restaurants or food service providers
can reduce waste in the long run if they will make an effort to prepare, bearing in mind consumer
demand (as cited in Ghandi and Singh, 2015, p.11).
24
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
STAFF ENGAGEMENT
Additionally, according to Maguire (2016), poor management skills can be a driver of
restaurant food waste, indicating that simply having the data on food waste is not enough to
change restaurant waste practices.
Referring to the study by Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez (2016) in the cooking process,
training and consciousness of employees on waste allegedly makes a huge difference. Raising
awareness on how much food is wasted daily was claimed as the key issue. It is mentioned that
it is relevant to share the results of measurement with employees. Also, suggested sales by
waiters is another tool that is frequently used by restaurants in which the waiters get instructions
to recommend specific dishes when there is risk of high pre-consumer waste. This could be taken
into account in dealing with the issue (Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez, 2016). Moreover,
respondents from the study of Lee (2015) suggested that skilled employees may produce a better
quality of food and contribute in lessening food waste. Wrap Research (2005b) added that one
should measure food waste by reviewing waste data regularly and training their staff to do so.
Meanwhile, according to a study conducted by Food Waste IE (2010a), a recycling system can
lead to a 44% reduction in waste costs.
25
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
In refutation to some researcher’s claim that food waste from casual dining restaurants
come from their internal operations, other factors claim that customers are still the one to blame.
The cons are as follows:
CONSUMER HABIT
According to Nicole and Nicolas Ng, founders of Food Bank in Singapore, the biggest
challenge is changing the mindset of the people toward food waste (as cited in Ghandi and Singh,
2015, p.10). Plate waste resulted to 30% of the total kilos wasted. The biggest losses come from
fruits and cooked dishes. It was said that the negligent behavior by the consumers, especially in
developed countries, is said to be caused by the illusion of abundance within their country. Also,
lack of awareness of the social impact of food wastage and being completely ignorant about the
other parts of the world suffering undernourishment contributes as well as the said behavior.
Further, Strasser (2014) interestingly underlines that this is of special relevance in the food service
sector as we tend to undervalue food that is not prepared by ourselves or by our loved ones (as
cited in Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez, 2016, p.6). Also, it was stated that the excessive quantities
of food waste may arise due to over-ordering by consumers (Food Waste IE, 2010b).
Also, regarding consumer food provisioning in terms of purchasing, a U.S. experiment
found that consumers show little tolerance for visual imperfections, but those with higher
environmental concerns are more tolerant (Sustainability, 2015).
26
Bulacan Ecumenical School Liang, City of Malolos, Bulacan A.Y. 2017-2018
LEGALITIES
On the other hand, some countries are adapting the practice of donation for those who
are hungry and for animal feed but others don’t due to legalities. Some of the reasons cited by
retailers and other food service organizations for lack of donations were fear of food poisoning,
legal implications of distributing spoiled food, tarnishing of provider’s brand image, lack of
knowledge of customer preferences, and the likes (Ghandi and Singh, 2015). Collection
authorities have responsibilities to businesses with regards to waste (Wrap Research, 2011)
OTHER FACTORS
Lastly, restaurants are wasting money by not addressing waste (Eco Coach, 2012). In
conclusion of the study of Derqui, Fayos and Fernandez (2016), the higher the cost of food waste
is for firms, the higher their interest will be in reducing it. Whenever measures are not taken, it is
usually due to: (1) Its low visibility or low awareness of waste; (2) marketing issues related with
the economic results- expected sales decrease when reducing waste; or (3) because waste is
produced once food has been sold (post-consumer waste). Food service operators in our
research considered plate waste as the consumers’ decision and thus, they do not measure it as
they consider it has no effect on their financial results for it is already “sold”.
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