When it comes to food waste, South Village’s restaurant, The Fresh Food Company, has ways of making sure very little food is thrown out.
According to the director of food services, Faybian Palmer, a waste management program is located on campus.
“We really tried to bring it out full circle in the last couple of years, in terms of making sure that we were doing our full diligence,” Palmer says.
He said the restaurant wants to make sure it uses the whole product, such as a tomato.
The core can be used in other dishes such as a salad, after the tomato is chopped.
If the whole product is used, it keeps costs down.
“Our recipes are used to make sure we get proper use,” Palmer said. “We are looking to maximize product yield.”
He says recipes give proper use because they are so specific.
“A recipe gives the exact measurement of each ingredient in a particular menu item. It aids in consistency, taste, quality, and portioning,” Palmer said.
A food production system is used before food is prepared so the restaurant knows what is supposed to be made and to ensure excess food is not prepared, said Palmer.
He says the food production planner looks to the previous sales of a product, so they know if less or more should be cooked.
