Ireland
World Menu Report 2
Unilever Food Solutions Unites Ireland’s Foodservice Industry to Take Action Against Food Waste
Monday, 19th September 2011. Irish restaurants lose €125 million a year by throwing away 63,670 tonnes of food, the equivalent of 7,959 Double Decker buses* or enough food waste to cover Croke Park pitch eight times over.
This staggering finding was revealed at an exclusive industry event where, for the first time, Unilever Food Solutions invited the biggest players in Ireland’s foodservice industry along with sustainability experts to take part in United Against Waste, a campaign calling for the foodservice industry to join forces and work with chefs, restaurants and consumers to take action and address the issue of reducing avoidable food waste with a single voice.
Research into the eating habits of Irish consumers when eating out supports the findings from Unilever Food Solutions' second World Menu Report, announced globally today. This report highlights that food waste in professional kitchens is high on the consumer agenda. Eight out of 10 people (84%) of those questioned globally stated that they were concerned with not only the amount of food wasted everyday in dining establishments but also the way in which this waste is disposed of.
Since the introduction of new Food Waste Regulations in Ireland last summer, food waste remains a hot topic among restaurateurs. Unilever Food Solutions Ireland commissioned research among 100 Irish chefs and operators via the Restaurant Association of Ireland (RAI) which shows that Irish restaurants each throw out on average 4.5 tonnes of food waste a year, at a cost per establishment of €8,840**. Portion sizing has been identified both by diners and chefs as a serious problem, with 34% of diners saying the reason they last left food behind them when eating out was because the portion was too big. This compares with 27% of diners who left food behind because they weren’t happy with the food.
Click here to download a copy of the findings from the World Menu Report 2
Click on the video below to see our United Against Waste Event
* One double decker bus weighs on average 8 tonnes
**
Based on an average restaurant throwing out 85kg a week at a cost of €2
per kg to represent the cost of purchasing the raw ingredients, the
cost of transport, storing of food, preparing, cooking food (staff,
energy costs), also the cost of disposing of the food
