reduce waste Archives

October 11, 2021October 6, 2021

Practical Reasons For ServSafe Food Managers To Use Frozen Product

During the fall and winter, many fresh ingredients tend to become scarce or the quality of these ingredients begins to decline. Replacing fresh product with frozen product keeps these ingredients on hand, and may offer the opportunity to reduce waste through better product inventory control. This week, we’d like to examine some items that ServSafe food managers may want to considering ordering in frozen product rather than fresh during the offseason.

ServSafe Food Managers Can Reduce Waste and Improving Quality with Frozen Ingredients

Spring and summer bring a bounty of fresh ingredients, but besides ingredients used in traditional fall cuisine the quality and availability of these summertime ingredients becomes scarce or subpar. Some common ingredients that begin to disappear in the fall include:

Fresh Ocean Fish
Seasonal Vegetables
Berries

While there are many species of fish that are available fresh all year round, several popular types become uncommon or begin to deteriorate in quality. Fresh salmon, halibut and other cold water fish become scarce at the end of the season. Not only will the quality of many ocean fish be subpar, the fresh prices will skyrocket as demand outpaces supply. If you want to avoid potentially mushy, flavorless ocean fish, buying fish that was flash frozen at harvest could save on food costs and provide a better experience for your guests. You’ll also have better control over your product as you can thaw the amount of fish you need for daily service without the risk that comes from spoilage from larger quantities of fresh product. Using flash frozen ocean fish can save on food cost, improve quality and help ServSafe food managers reduce waste.

If you’ve ordered vegetables traditionally only available in the spring out of season, you’ve probably noticed a decline in quality from months earlier. This is due to produce coming from farther away or being grown in conditions that may not be optimal. While many ServSafe food managers opt to rotate to locally available vegetables, many chefs can be stubborn and tied down to ingredients on their signature dishes. If you’re not serving these items fresh, most seasonal vegetables will be available blanched and frozen.

If you use berries or other fruit for baking or desserts, bringing in frozen ingredients will help with waste control as prices rise in the offseason. However, frozen berries and fruit are best suited for cooking, dressings or compotes rather than to be served on their own.

Do the ServSafe Food Managers in your establishment switch to frozen product in the offseason?

April 5, 2021March 5, 2021

Suggestions Food Safety Managers Can Use To Make Takeouts Greener

Takeout and delivery services have become very popular over the course of the past year, and with this increased demand, comes an increase in the amount of takeout-related materials on hand in every restaurant. With so many elements involved in takeout orders, food safety managers should take a few steps to reduce the amount of waste involved when packing takeouts and delivery orders.

Waste Reduction Hints for Food Safety ManagersTo Improve Takeouts and Delivery

When you consider all the elements that go into to-go orders, there is a great potential for waste. Clamshell containers, individually packaged utensils, sauce packets and lids all have the potential to be wasted. Many customers prefer to use their own silverware at home, may have no need for the tiny packet of ketchup or simply toss excess containers in the trash. Sending these items with every takeout order eats into your food safety manager’s bottom line, creates waste and may have a negative impact on the environment.

In order to reduce waste, you may wish to ask customers who place a takeout order if they require silverware, sauces or other optional items. You may find that more of your customers are concerned about waste than you think.

Takeout and delivery don’t just create more waste, many to-go containers, utensils and sauce packets are cmposed of plastics that are harmful to the environment. Here are a few things food safety managers should consider when planning takeout service:

Stock biodegradable containers
Use small recyclable containers rather than prepackaged sauces
Consider compostable straws and utensils over plastic
Utilize reusable bags

Current innovations in recyclable and biodegradable restaurant supplies have made it possible to reduce your environmental impact without sacrificing the quality of your service. While paper-based takeout containers may not last forever, they’ll retain their integrity long enough for guests to enjoy their meals. The same goes for paper straws and biodegradable utensils. By making a few small changes food safety managers can go a long way in reducing waste and being environmentally focused with your delivery and takeout supplies.

Have you looked into how you can be more environmentally conscious with the way you provide delivery services?

January 21, 2020January 27, 2020

Certified Food Protection Managers and Efficient Inventory Control

January is upon us and for many foodservice operations that means a predictable lull in business after the hectic holiday months. If you’re one of those operations that experiences a post-holiday slow down, you may want to focus on projects that will contribute to how efficient the business side of your operation works. We recommended certified food managers assess and streamline your inventory control system during the offseason. It can go a long way towards helping your foodservice facility run more safely, efficiently and achieve a profit margin well into the new year.

Certified Food Protection Managers and Efficient Inventory Control

Image credit: dolgachov via 123RF

Inventory Control Assessment Tips for Certified Food Managers

There are many benefits to periodically assessing your inventory control system to make sure it’s effective. Two of the most important are waste reduction and cost control.

Having your inventory information at your fingertips gives you the knowledge to both reduce waste and control food costs. Knowing how long product sits in your storeroom or under refrigeration will help you control ordering and prevent spoilage by giving you a better idea of how much of any given ingredient you use over certain periods of time. You’ll find that simply knowing what’s on hand will have you throwing out less outdated product and also prevent running out of key ingredients between orders.

How can certified food protection managers create an efficient inventory system? While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for every business, here are a few ideas to help you get started.

Create daily usage and waste logs
Find an easy to use a mobile app to track inventory
Upgrade your point-of-sale system to track product used

Most certified food protection managers only take a full inventory once a month on average. While this is great for assessing monthly food costs, it has the potential for giving you an incomplete picture of how your inventory works. Creating a daily log of what product is used or wasted can give you a much clearer picture of where you need to trim inventory or increase ordering pars.

Finally, there are many software solutions to help you keep track of your inventory. Apps are available for mobile devices and modern POS systems allow users to enter recipes and ingredients for menu items. Talk with a representative from the company that provides your point-of-sale software to see if there is an upgrade available to help track your inventory. It may cost more, but you may find you’ll save money in the long run with a more efficient inventory process.

Is it time for your certified food protection manager to take a closer look at your inventory systems?