2015/01/01 by Dominique-Philippe Bénézet, Bénézet, Dominique-Philippe
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Bio-déchets #Bio-waste #Collective catering #Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability #GEM-RCN #Gaspillage #Restauration collective #SNRC #Wastage
paper · doi:10.15454/1.4622746501111128e12
openalex publication_date 2015/01/01 · openalex created_date 2024/07/26 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/01
Collective catering provides 8 millions meals per day, with a peculiarity: the social aim. Collective catering is in 60% ensured by the communities themselves, and in 40% by catering societies. Food wastage is a major concern for catering societies when preparing meals for a determined number of persons. Every unused meal is a financial loss. Reducing food wastage has thus been a priority since 2011. Collective catering ran a survey to measure bio-wastes showing that on average every meal generates 35 g of bio-wastes. Collective catering is also run under constraints, especially because it is necessary to conciliate customers’ expectations, that are sometimes contradictory (for instance when required quantities exceeds recommendations of the Groupe d’Etude des Marchés de Restauration Collective et Nutrition (GEM-RCN). There are several possible levers to further reduce food losses. Better organisation and production modes, as well as quality are key levers to improve consumption of proposed meals. Volumes adapted to consumers typology will also ensure a better adequacy between offer and consumption. Regulation modifications could also positively influence the situations, for instance for the “control plates”. Eventually technical and legal questions remain regarding the food donation, even if partnerships already exist in some restaurants.