When we launched the Every Crumb Counts declaration and our toolkit, we recognised that it is important to ensure that the commitments outlined in the declaration are taken forward and to provide evidence of this. We therefore carried out a survey among our membership in 2014 to assess uptake of the toolkit and to simultaneously raise awareness about food wastage and what can be done.

This report also shows a selection of the many actions that are being taken by food and drink manufacturers across Europe to prevent food wastage, covering many different sectors and by large, medium and small companies alike.

FOOD WASTE PROGRESS REPORT

A large majority of respondents (over 80%) stressed they are working to identify the causes of food wastage wherever it occurs and are optimising their production systems accordingly
80% of respondents confirmed that they are collaborating with other stakeholders in order to prevent, as well as reduce food wastage
Preventing food wastage is part of the sustainability strategy of most organisations (60%)
Many organisations (55%) are training employees to prevent food wastage and optimise production
Approximately 70% of respondents are working with upstream supply chain partners, such as to improve storage, cold chain facilities and transportation, so foods and drinks maintain their quality and safety longer
In addition, just over one-third (37%) of respondents said they are working with farmers to ensure that raw materials are produced to meet commercial and regulatory safety and quality standards through training and innovation thereby preventing food wastage on farms.
The most common actions for helping consumers prevent food wastage include using or developing packaging and processing innovations to prevent food spoilage (63%)...
...providing clear storage, freezing, de-frosting and preparation instructions (58%)...
...and providing a variety of quantity options, measuring tools or other portioning means for relevant products to fit the needs of consumers (50%)
Food and drink companies are using alternative channels, such as food banks or markets, to redirect it to feed people (52% of respondents)...
...redirecting it for use as animal feed (72% of respondents)...
...finding markets for food wastage to be used as inputs to other industries (44%)...
...and innovating new products from edible food and ingredients that are leftover from production (48%)
In terms of future actions, the vast majority of respondents (90%) are planning to continue to tackle food wastage in their operations and along the chain in collaboration with other stakeholders and supply chain partners

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