Specialty Food Magazine

Spring 2017

Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.

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areas, full enforcement of the laws has yet to come to fruition. Many large cities are also introducing municipal composting pro- grams that make it even easier for large operators to divert unusable items. "Here in San Francisco, we have a municipal composting program, which means that food scraps aren't just releasing meth- ane but [are] instead turned into a real resource," explains Karen Leibowitz, co-founder and director of communications at The Perennial restaurant. Making those types of composting programs more available could be a boon for businesses looking to combat food waste in a real way. "A few other cities have similar programs, but expand- ing the reach of composting would make a real difference in the impact of food waste on the environment," Leibowitz says. Grassroots efforts that allow retailers and foodservice operators to partner with compost collectors are also popping up in cities around the country. Bootstrap Compost in Boston, for example, picks up residential and commercial food scraps and partners with local farms to divert thousands of pounds of organic material from landfills every week. Compost Crusader in Milwaukee also works with schools, restaurants, grocers, and municipalities to compost organic waste. Building for Sustainability in Restaurants From the corner sandwich shop to massive resort operations, food- service operators are keeping a close eye on both their numbers and their trash to keep food scraps and leftovers out of the landfill. Not only do these types of operations keep an eye on their prep area to make sure food isn't going to waste, they also must assess how they deal with the food left on the plates. When Leibowitz and her husband Anthony Myint welcomed their daughter in 2012, the two started thinking more seriously about food and sustainability. They brought it into play at their San Francisco restaurants Mission Chinese and Commonwealth, but in early 2016, the couple opened The Perennial in hopes of tackling the greater issue of climate change. When it comes to food waste in the United States, the numbers are staggering. Food waste makes up 30 to 40 percent of the food supply in this country, with 31 percent of that food loss occurring at the retail and consumer levels, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Grocery stores are responsible for 10 percent of the nation's 133 billion pounds of food thrown out each year, and in New York City alone, nearly half a million pounds of waste is produced by restaurants each year. Additionally, the Ohio EPA reports that up to 90 percent of waste thrown out by supermarkets and restaurants is food scraps. What's more, when food waste in landfills rots, it releases harmful methane into the atmosphere that ultimately contributes to global climate change. Chefs and food industry executives are thinking harder about their waste and finding new ways to turn it into something more than just garbage. From large-scale, on-site composting programs to smaller initiatives that funnel unusable produce and ready-made meals to those in need, companies are taking steps to tackle the mounting waste issue and also help with hunger efforts in their communities. Government and Grassroots Efforts With the food waste issue reaching a tipping point in recent years, cities and states around the country are creating legislation targeted at reducing waste among restaurants and foodservice operators. New Jersey has a state Senate bill on the table that would encourage composting among restaurants, grocery stores, and other large waste producers, as well as building more food-waste-to-energy facilities throughout the state. Similar laws that require food scraps to be separat- ed from other waste are already on the books in states like Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut, though in some Hy-Vee has partnered with Robinson Fresh to offer a discounted line of imperfect produce. The Misfits program includes seasonal items that don't necessarily meet standards for store shelves. PHOTO: HY-VEE 28 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com

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