As the European Parliament resolves to make 2014 the “European Year against Food Waste”, and a quarter of consumers admit to leaving food on their plates when dining out, Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) has launched an industry-first mobile app to help chefs and caterers identify and reduce avoidable food waste.
The challenge to chefs
UFS – a leading supplier to the hospitality and catering market – is challenging chefs to use the free ‘Wise Up on Waste’ app to reduce their food waste by at least 5%.
Up to 50% of food is thrown away
Tracey Rogers, managing director of Unilever Food Solutions, says: “Up to 50% of the world’s food is being thrown away and what’s even more shocking is that 1.2-2bn tonnes of food produced around the world never makes it on to a plate. Not only is this having a severe environmental impact, but with each tonne of food waste costing a business £1,800, it’s making a serious financial impression too.
“Small actions multiplied by millions of chefs can make a huge difference to the environment. With over 88% of chefs in the industry using mobile apps, we know it’s the best way to engage with them and create the biggest impact.
“The app has been designed to make it as easy as possible for chefs to ensure food is not being wasted in the kitchen. It takes our online Wise Up on Waste toolkit one step further, giving chefs a mobile tool that allows them to track waste at their fingertips.”
The ‘Wise Up on Waste’ app
The app allows chefs to accurately and conveniently track food waste over a three-day period, or that of their choice, to highlight the average volume of each type of waste (spoilage, preparation or customer plate waste) generated by day part (breakfast, lunch and dinner), per day, and per cover.
It also gives advice on how to manage customer plate waste. It then generates email summaries showing performance against the industry average and progress graphs that can be saved and viewed at a later date.
With over 88% of chefs in the industry using mobile apps, it has been designed to engage and inspire chefs to reduce their waste in a more convenient way. The app takes Unilever Food Solutions’ online Wise Up on Waste Toolkit one step further, making it even easier for chefs to track waste in their kitchens, using their phones, tablets and other mobile devices.
Users can achieve a reduction target of their choice, but Unilever Food Solutions is challenging chefs to aim for a reduction of at least a 5%.
More about the app
- Gives a week by week comparison to track progress and identify the indicative cost savings for a business
- Shows the indicative cost saving potential based on the chef meeting the 5% reduction goal
- Allows the chef to choose to audit breakfast, lunch and/or dinner waste
- Is packed full of waste action tips, recipes and spoilage prevention tips
- Contains case study videos
- Allows the chef to save downloadable practical tools into own bespoke ‘My Folder’ for easy access
- Helps the chef learn how to play their part in supporting the sector in reducing waste and recycling more
- Chefs can use this waste tracker to repeat their audit and monitor their success over time. The app encourages chefs to share their successes with their team and managers.
- The Wise Up on Waste app is compatible on iOS (apple) and android devices and is free to download from the Apple store, Google Play. A free web version is also available for Blackberry handsets (optimised for BBOS6+) and other devices at: www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.uk/wasteapp