Fighting Food Waste in Events

The recipe of food-waste is prepared over the griddle of socializing chaos; and probably events stir more of this messy business next to supermarkets. Over the apex of events, event planners and caterers are the blacklisted ones framed for the food mismanagement, which have escalated their desperation to come out clean from the defamation. And now they have shown their appetite to fight food waste armed with the latest technology and gadgets.

Roughly one-third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tones gets lost or wasted. In some places, they try to cope with the act of generosity, by feeding the leftovers to animals or dumping in wetland nourishing aquatic creatures. But their generous looking act is simply a manipulator to hide the inefficiency to manage food waste. It does not help to solve the questions on a long haul atleast not for events. 

Event industry efforts refrained only to food waste disposal producing organic manure, however claiming 100% food waste control seems far away.  However, the current advancement in technology and strategic planning definitely looks competent to achieve this important task.

See how a campaign to fight food waste by Morton Salt went viral and appreciated by a lot of people when they created a typeface from wasted food. 

Before finding the solution we should focus on problems and below are major reasons for food waste.

Reasons for food waste,

• Cooking extensive quantities of food
• Lack of sufficient storage
• Dissatisfaction due to unmet taste expectations
• Purchasing food item without prior estimation

Tips to deal with Event’s food waste

• Plan menu wisely and estimate food proportion accordingly
• Use the proper sized serving vessels to scoop less food in a plate
• Serve less food - begin an event with starter followed by the main meal
• Serve side-dishes to prevent food waste and exhaust on the main meal
• Restock the buffet as needed
• Partner with food donation programmes
• Make your food look attractive that will increase the consumption rate and less wastage
• Event caterers should creatively use excess food in the meal itself example turning extra bread into croutons
• Connect with members of the government who have made food and sustainability priorities
• Create a food waste exhibit or create compelling displays to post on social media
• Upcycle organic byproduct. For instance, company like Rise convert brewers’ spent grain into a high nutrients edible flour
• Communicate with your attendees about your food waste efforts.

Innovative Products to Control Food Waste

1) Temperature control and monitoring - KwikSwitch Folding Thermocouple Kit

KwikSwitch by Cooper-Atkins is a folding thermocouple instrument that monitors food temperature featuring a replaceable probe. This device will let know caterers if any food is degraded to low quality or become stale. It will help them to continuously monitor food and make necessary arrangement before it becomes a waste. 

2) Adapt to technology- Leanpath , Winnow Systems

Leanpath is another impressive technology to prevent food wastage and calculate wasted food as it is discarded. The LEANPATH “smart scales” allow users to easily track food waste and financial loss when they dump into the bin.  This technology helps to control food waste nearly to 50% and save on cost.  A similar technology is also prevalent called WINNOW system among event chefs to overcome food waste in events.

3) App - Green Egg Shopper

Denmark launched iPhone app 'Green Egg Shopper'. The shopping list app helps organize shopping in a way that helps reduce food waste and save money.  Users can set Use by/Best Before/Expiry of perishables as they buy/pick items while shopping.  The app will show the list of food items near expiry, and suggest using by date.

4) Store food safely – IRRI Super Bag

The IRRI Super Bag is an innovative product that is helping to improve the shelf life of stored food, seeds, and grain.  The bag can reduce the amount of oxygen by up to 80% thus eliminating oxidation process and insects survival.  

5) Smart Badge- Food Minder & HEXPIRON

A UK-based company has developed a simple food management tool called food minder that determines the remaining shelf life of food and drink products.  The Food Minder incorporates an LED light when placed on top of or in front of products in the fridge; it relies on coloured blinks of light to indicate the time left before a food item becomes inedible. Watch the video here.

Similar to food miner there is one more smart magnetic badge HEXPIRONS that can stick on free  fridge magnets that change from green to red over a period of days to represent food freshness. It encourages users to use food before expiration; the Hexpirons are linked to a phone App to keep a record of expiration dates.

6) Bump Mark – Smart stickers

Pakstaite named her product Bump Mark that is attached on the food packets.  The label tells you exactly the condition your food is in, simply by running your finger over it. If it’s smooth, then food is edible, but if you start to feels bumps as the gelatin breaks down, then it’s a red alert. The bump appears as gelatin in the Bump Mark decays and it becomes liquid. The bumps become evident to the touch and it's time to throw out the food inside.

7) Zera Food Recycler

Food caterers can house Zera Food Recycler for rapid recycling of food waste.  Zero Food Recycler converts food waste into fine manure within 24 hours, which can be utilized as fertilizer. There is a similar recycling machine called IMC Station, the advantage of this machine is that it recycles food in bulk. For more information read here

Events are not the same anymore and some cite food as a status-quo forcing the host to envelops range of delicacies and number of varieties.  But in the vent of this, the pile of food waste is seen searching their ultimate extraction point. Incase if you know the way to reduce food waste in events and blessed with the wisdom to find the solutions, then let it happen here.

Source

• https://www.smartmeetings.com/magazine_article/prevent-food-waste
• https://congrex.com/association-management/4-tips-to-avoid-food-waste-at-a-conference-or-event/
• https://blog.pro-pacific.com/reducing-food-waste-with-temperature-control-and-monitoring?utm_campaign=%5BGeneral%5D%20Equipment%20Consultation&utm_content=80097016&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
• https://www.leanpath.com/
• http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/training/fact-sheets/postharvest-management/storage-fact-sheet-category/item/irri-super-bag-fact-sheet
• https://foodtank.com/news/2017/08/food-waste-technologies/
• http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/training/fact-sheets/postharvest-management/storage-fact-sheet-category/item/irri-super-bag-fact-sheet
• https://congrex.com/association-management/4-tips-to-avoid-food-waste-at-a-conference-or-event/
• https://meetingchange.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/reducing-food-waste-at-events/
• https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/18-gadgets-and-gizmos-that-help-reduce-food-waste-7b8f1d5996c6
• https://www.leanpath.com/solutions/

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