Following the growing concerns of consumers about food waste in commercial kitchens, Unilever Food Solutions has launched a global toolkit on food industry waste management to assist restaurants in developing their own sustainable waste management practices.

Unilever’s executive chef Mark Baylis and managing director Yezdi Daruwalla (right).

The Unilever Food Solutions’ Wise up on Waste global toolkit, which will be available to Australian foodservice operators, comes in light of growing concerns about food disposal when eating out and aims to provide commercial kitchens practical processes and methods to reduce food waste.

A global report commissioned by Unilever Food Solutions surveyed 500 Australians and revealed over 80 percent believe it is important for foodservice operators to dispose of food waste responsibly and sustainably, 86 percent stated the amount of food thrown away by foodservice operators should be reduced and 82 percent supported the use of recyclable packaging and materials.

Interestingly, the survey also revealed that one in two Australians are prepared to pay more for meals in establishments which implement disposal schemes and are committed to minimising food waste.

Yezdi Daruwalla, Unilever Food Solutions managing director, believes the emerging ‘ethical eating’ trend reflects a growing global environmental conscience in every aspect of daily life.

“The results of the Unilever Food Solutions Global Menu Report show that Australians are concerned about waste levels in commercial kitchens, making sustainable food waste management by foodservice operators more important than ever.

“In such a high pressure industry, waste can be difficult to manage, but even small incremental changes can have a significant impact over time,” said Daruwalla. Foodservice operators need to develop new and improved ways of doing business that will drive sustainable growth while positively impacting communities and reducing their overall environmental impact.

With consumer sentiment urging the food industry to take responsibility in reducing the environmental impact of its practices, the Unilever Food Solutions Wise up on Waste toolkit is an indispensible guide for commercial kitchens and foodservice operators as it features practical steps on how to reduce waste and save costs.

The Unilever Food Solutions Wise up on Waste global toolkit features topics such as the costs of food waste, how to conduct a waste audit to identify where it occurs, a briefing sheet for managers and guidelines for employees, menu assessment, menu ideas to use frequently wasted ingredients and more.

For more information about Unilever Food Solutions and the Unilever Food Solutions Wise up on Waste global toolkit, click here.