Food waste is one of the biggest problems facing kitchens today. It costs money, time, labour, and adds to foodservice waste streams unnecessarily. While the problem of food waste might seem complicated, there a few simple solutions that your kitchen can implement today.
You may already be familiar with the term FIFO – First In, First Out. It has long been used in kitchen jargon to describe a method of inventory management, valuation, and organisation that dictates the order in which food items are purchased, produced, used, sold, or disposed of, i.e., items purchased or produced first are used, sold, or disposed of first.
FIFO is absolutely worth the investment. Along with portion control – which is just what it sounds like, controlling portion sizes to avoid spillage or overserving – you can reduce waste and save money in the kitchen.
Reduce Food Waste with FIFO and Portion Control
Portion Control
Let’s start with the basics.
Practicing portion control significantly reduces food waste in the kitchen – using the proper tools for portion control will ensure portion sizes are perfect every time with nothing falling over the sides, being distributed unevenly, or ending up on the floor. Reduced food waste then in turn translates into money saved for your foodservice operation, as you won’t have to restock ingredients as often, and won’t have to pay as much for disposal services either.
Portion control furthermore ensures customer satisfaction. Consistency is key, and proper portioning helps kitchens execute their prep and plating with precision that will keep your customers coming back for more.
FIFO
The FIFO method and portion control are therefore key to reducing food waste and profit loss in the kitchen. The reasoning behind FIFO is quite simple: It keeps older food from being pushed to the back of the cooler where it can be overlooked or forgotten and keeps the items that are freshest from being used before they need to be.
This process also makes it easier to identify food set to expire. Food past its use-by date must be discarded, of course, to avoid potential illness, and FIFO can help food establishments identify items that are almost expired and use or sell them before this date passes. Food rotation also helps prevent the growth of pathogens and mold, many of which go unnoticed by sight or smell.
FIFO also follows the natural flow of inventory. Older/oldest products are most likely to lose value due to long-term storage. The method can therefore help restaurants track how quickly their food stock is being used. This information can be used to better manage inventory and adjust orders to fit the needs of the kitchen, which helps reduce waste and boost profit margins as well.
NCCO Products to Help with FIFO and Portion Control
NCCO International also offers wholesale FIFO and portion control products to streamline your food prep and keep your kitchen operating smoothly. FIFO bottles, kits and accessories ensure consistent and up-to-date portioning during food preparation.
FIFO and portion control are the best way to track organisation safety and usefulness of food items for your foodservice operation. If your kitchen is not using First In, First Out and portion control methods already, try some of NCCO International’s top-quality tools to get started today.
Don’t forget to follow along on Facebook and LinkedIn for more industry insights, exclusive offers, and resources for your kitchen.