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 has launched an industry-first mobile app to help chefs and caterers identify and reduce avoidable food waste.
The leading supplier is challenging chefs to use the free ?Wise Up on Waste? app to reduce their food waste by at least 5%.
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 app allows chefs to accurately and conveniently track food waste over a three-day period, or that of their choice, to highlight the average waste generated by day part, 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.
The UK is leading from the front when it comes to tackling avoidable food waste, which is why Unilever Food Solutions has taken the decision to launch the Wise up on Waste app in the UK first. The app will then be rolled out to further countries across the globe.
As well as calling on the industry to reduce its waste, Unilever Food Solutions has announced its own set of ambitious targets to contribute to those set by its parent company in the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. The goals are ambitious, but over time and by working together as an industry, they can be achieved.
By 2020, Unilever Food Solutions will:
1. Help chefs make 200 million meals daily healthier, tastier and more enjoyable.
2. Help chefs to run a more efficient kitchen and reduce their waste.
3. Source 100% of agricultural raw materials sustainably.
In the UK, Unilever Food Solutions has committed to support these global targets over the next 12 months. It will:
? Help chefs to achieve at least a 5% reduction in food waste.
? Help chefs to provide more healthy and nutritious meals to at least 1 million people, including students.
The goals that Unilever and Unilever Food Solutions have set itself are ambitious, but one the business is 100% committed to as it begins its sustainable journey.