Representative image of food waste.
Credit: iStock Photo
The Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association (BBHA) on Thursday issued a notice to its members, urging them to reduce not only food wastage but also to conserve water, and electricity, and limit paper napkin usage.
According to BBHA President P C Rao, food wastage in India spans from 20 per cent to 30 per cent across various venues, including hotels and marriage halls, from the point of food production to consumption.
Rao suggests, “While peeling and cutting vegetables, hotel staff can exercise more care to minimise wastage. They should also receive training to serve appropriate portions of items like curry and chutney to customers.”
He adds, “Hotels should display informative posters in areas like washrooms to increase customer awareness. Additionally, the option of installing dryers instead of providing paper napkins could be explored.”
Concise menu
Hotelier Arun Adiga reveals that his restaurant reduces wastage by preparing curries at shorter intervals instead of in large batches.
“Given our concise menu, we generally have lower wastage. In establishments with extensive spreads like buffets, however, wastage tends to be higher, especially when customers initially take various items but ultimately consume only a portion.”
BBHA Vice President Subramanya Hola emphasises that food wastage leads to both financial loss and inconvenience for hoteliers.
He notes, “Currently, no organisation collect leftovers from hotels. Those that do collect food usually require it by 7 pm, but hotels can only provide it around 10 pm.”