The Management of Meals in Food Service Establishments in the Context of Food Waste—Results of Focus Group Interviews with Employees and Owners

Abstract

Food waste in the food service industry is global and affects the whole world. Despite the fact that food service establishments are significant food waste producers, they have received less academic attention than other food waste producers. The aim of this paper is to analyse the methods of management of meals in food service establishments in the context of food waste. The study was carried out using a qualitative research method in the form of a focus group interview between 24 January and 3 February 2020 in four locations. Three interviews were carried out with 23 owners and three interviews with 24 employees of six types of food service establishments, e.g., restaurants, bars, etc. In the respondents’ opinion, the amount of food thrown away is not large and most often includes perishable foodstuffs and food discarded when preparing dishes. At the same time, the respondents admitted that many foodstuffs that were thrown away were fit for further use, for example, withered fruit and vegetables or products with no signs of spoilage but whose packages had been opened. To achieve a maximum reduction of wastage of dishes prepared in advance by food service outlets, greater emphasis must be placed on the cooperation between food service establishments and charitable institutions. According to the study, caterers are reluctant to officially engage in such cooperation because they have no knowledge of the current donation law, among others.