Food waste is a big problem across the supply chain. Totaling 63 million tons a year and worth $218 billion, reports ReFED, a national nonprofit focused on food waste solutions. But with good strategies, you can start reducing food waste by 20 percent over the next 10 years. Generating $100 billion in savings. Forty percent of food waste is generated by consumer-facing businesses. Because of this, ReFED has focused on the foodservice industry.
Reducing Food Waste Challenges
Before reshuffling your business priorities, look at the broad picture. Why is food waste the international problem? How does it affect me? For starters, every bit of wasted food product is a drain on your bottom line. Even minuscule amounts of waste add up over time. When you look at the food manufacturers that are thriving, a big reason is that they run lean, efficient operations that leave very little room for waste.
What should business be doing?
Technology is speeding up the pace of change across the supply chain. At the consumer level, there are apps such as those used to create shopping lists or recipes from leftovers. Higher on the chain, products have come to market like better sensors on trucks to prevent food loss through temperature changes.
Strict climate control:
- One of the biggest contributors to food waste is that perishable ingredients have their limits. You can’t make them last forever, but you can certainly maximize shelf life just by keeping a close eye on temperatures and ensuring that ingredients and end products are kept cool.
Flexibility:
- Your purchasing plan this year shouldn’t be identical to next year. While you should understand the natural ebbs and flows of the food supply chain, your business model should bake in contract elements that allow you to be nimble. Just as you don’t want to suffer from a shortage of ingredients, you don’t want to be stuck with a surplus you can’t use.
Data:
- Track the food manufacturing process from start to finish so that you can implement smarter strategies for efficiency. Methods foodservice businesses are leveraging, like analytics apps that work to prevent waste by tracking from the time it’s prepared through the time it’s served. Then, there are no-tech methods like smaller plates and tray-less dining to discourage people from taking too much food.
What can Fortress Nutrition LLC do for you?
We’re able to spot inefficiencies a mile away. We work closely with our customers to limit food waste and shore up the bottom line. Fortress Nutrition LLC has a solid history of meeting strict specifications for our customers based on consumer preference, restrictive diets and much more.
Rest assured that you’re in good hands with Fortress Nutrition. To learn more about how we tailor our blending, ingredient sourcing, logistics, consumer packaging, and other services to meet customer needs, and to find out how we can partner with you to ensure compliance with new GMO laws, contact us today.