Food Waste in Danish Restaurants: Management practices and future initiatives to reduce food waste
Translated title
Food Waste in Danish Restaurants
Author
Shrestha, Pujan
Term
4. term
Publication year
2016
Submitted on
2016-12-21
Pages
67
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan danske restauranter håndterer og søger at reducere madspild. Med udgangspunkt i, at den danske servicesektor årligt genererer betydelige mængder madspild (heraf en stor andel fra restauranter og caféer), belyser studiet både nuværende praksisser og mulige fremtidige tiltag. Metodisk bygger det på kvalitative, semistrukturerede interviews med ni deltagere (ledere, køkkenchefer og kokke) fra restauranter i København, herunder Tivoli, efterfulgt af tematisk analyse informeret af litteraturen. Respondenterne var gennemgående meget bevidste om problemet; tre havde konkrete idéer til nye tiltag, men få var endnu i drift, og kun to ud af ni steder havde afsat et særskilt budget til madspildshåndtering. De vigtigste kilder til spild var overproduktion/overforberedelse, mangelfuld lagerstyring og gæsters efterladte mad. Organisk affald blev typisk kildesorteret og afhentet af kommunen, og noget blev doneret til dyrebrug. Studiet konkluderer, at fuldstændig eliminering af spild ikke er realistisk ved buffet- og tallerkenservering, men at væsentlige reduktioner afhænger af dygtige medarbejdere og konsekvent daglig ledelse: planlagte opskrifter og menuer, bedre planlægning og styring, løbende kontrol af portionsstørrelser samt systematisk dokumentation. Politikker mod madspild bør favne flere strategier og motivatorer for at være effektive.
This thesis examines how Danish restaurants manage and aim to reduce food waste. Against the backdrop of substantial annual food waste in Denmark (with a significant share from restaurants and cafés), the study explores current practices and potential future initiatives. The methodology is qualitative: nine semi-structured interviews with managers, head chefs, and cooks from restaurants in Copenhagen, including Tivoli, followed by thematic analysis informed by the literature. Respondents were highly aware of food waste; three had concrete ideas for future initiatives, but few were implemented, and only two of nine outlets had a dedicated budget for food-waste management. The leading sources of waste were overproduction/over-preparation, inadequate inventory control, and customer leftovers. Organic waste was typically source-separated and collected by municipalities, with some donated to animal farms. The study concludes that achieving zero waste is unrealistic for buffet and plate service, but substantial reductions depend on skilled staff and consistent day-to-day management: planned recipes and menus, stronger planning and control, ongoing portion-size monitoring, and systematic documentation. Policies to prevent food waste should address a range of strategies and motivations to be effective.
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