Savour Food Programme Recognises Best Practice in Food Waste Management in Cork and Limerick

January 2020

This month the Savour Food programme gave recognition to 43 businesses for their participation in the programme. The range of participating businesses includes: hotels, restaurants, cafés, food retailers such as SuperValu and Spar, care centres and food processors.

Better planning, food waste segregation, waste auditing and waste cost analysis are key elements of the Savour Food programme. For the food service sector, accurate portion control is a key part of reducing waste and reducing costs. However, there will be times when the customer will not eat all that’s on their plate. Savour Food provided participants with compostable take-away food boxes for consumers who would like to bring their leftovers home with them.

James Hogan of the Clean Technology Centre said, “We are delighted with the buy in there has been from food businesses in 2019, who see food waste reduction as essential in their efforts to sustain business and tackle climate change. All businesses who have participated in the programme have identified cost savings, some in the €1,000’s of euro. In Ireland we generate over 1 million tonnes of waste food each year, 75% of which is generated in food production, service and retail. Wasted food is a wasted resource and has implications for the environment and climate change. Savour Food will be expanding its reach to other counties in Munster and will launch an online tool to help business tackle food waste in 2020.”

Congratulations to all food businesses involved.

Staff of Lee’s Centra, Charleville and Nichola Grufferty, Ballyhoura Development CLG.

Neil O’Neill & Michael O’Neill of Fernhill House Hotel & Gardens, Clonakilty

Orla O’ Donovan, Proprietor Fig & Olive Cafe, Clonakilty and Tanya Fitzgerald, SECAD