Food Waste Log Sheet

Food Waste Log Sheet FAQs

1) What is a food waste log sheet?

A food waste log sheet is a tool that tracks the amount of food thrown out by a restaurant, cafeteria, catering company, home kitchen, or other food-prep business. Food waste can include food scraps, uneaten food, spoiled food, and food that’s unusable for any other reason.

2) How do you log food waste?

Before throwing away food, identify the type of food and determine how much is being disposed of by weight or quantity. You can also categorize food waste by stage of food prep or service and why the food went unused.

3) When do you use a food waste log sheet?

A food waste log sheet can be used whenever food is about to be thrown out. Use the log sheet to record food waste that occurs before, during, and after service. Consider how much unused food is left over from prep work. Did customers not finish their food? How much spoiled food was cleared out of the fridge or walk-in cooler? Note any food waste that occurs during service. Did the kitchen prep more than it needed? Was any food dropped or spilled? Did the kitchen burn food or make other mistakes?

4) Why is it important for restaurants to maintain a food waste log sheet?

Identifying drivers of food waste is an important way for restaurants to improve inventory management, control food costs, and lessen the impact of food waste on the environment. By logging wasted food, you can identify recurring issues, like ordering too many ingredients, creating excessive portion sizes, or making mistakes in prep.

5) How do you conduct a food waste audit with a food waste log?

Before throwing away food, record the type of food, the amount of food, and the reason it’s being thrown away. Compare your food waste to the amount of food purchased, the number of people served, and your sales numbers to determine the impact it has on your bottom line. Once you’ve collected the data, you can sort instances of food waste into categories to identify trends and implement a plan or new policies to help reduce waste.

6) What information should be recorded in a food waste log sheet?

A food waste log sheet should include the date food is thrown out, the type of food, the amount of food by weight or quantity, and at what point in the cooking or serving process the food was wasted.