Production in Excesses

Large-scale production of food for events, such as catering or buffet services, is yet another source of food waste.

Buffets

The appeal of buffets lies in their spread and variety of choice. It is, however, difficult to gauge the relative popularity of any particular dish and hence make a reliable estimate of the amount to prepare. It is not uncommon for entire platters of food to remain relatively untouched at the end of the meal. The tendency of hosts to over-order – either as a way of showing generosity or to avoid the awkward situation where there is insufficient food – further aggravates the problem.

Banquets

Wedding banquets and corporate dinner and dance events typically consists of 8-courses, which often result in so much surplus that it has been estimated that 33% of the food is wasted at a typical banquet. It does not help that there is an existing social taboo of packing food home from such events. As such, most hotels would not have any takeaway containers available in their kitchens – they are unable to provide the service even if guests daringly make the request.

Based on my experiences as a banquet server, the guests are typically too full to eat by the fifth or sixth dish – usually a noodle dish. Hosts and hotels alike could consider reducing the number of courses or the portion size of the meal to reduce food waste. There could also be a daring attempt to change the social norm by encouraging guests to pack the excess food home. To reduce the social judgment that could arise from the existing norms, hotels could bulk-purchase takeaway boxes customised with the hotel’s design to give the guests the impression of bringing a beautifully packaged “present” home, rather than being a “cheapskate”.

Restaurants

The unpredictability of consumer demand also causes restaurants to stock up on an excess of ingredients or over-prepare the items in advance, especially in those that obtain their food items from a central kitchen. The problem of over-production could also be a result of the lack of training of employees, who do not think to purchase the supplies in moderation in order to save money for their employers. This then creates a larger possibility of food waste from spoilage, as food items that have been handled tend to go bad faster.