When ingredients go in the bin, the reason can be easy to forget by the end of a busy shift. A simple food waste log makes the pattern visible: which food was discarded, how much, when, and why. For a café or small catering team, the goal is not perfect measurement on day one. It is enough consistent information to spot one change worth testing.

Start with a short, representative baseline

For two weeks, record food waste as it happens during normal operations. Include both busy and quieter days if they are part of your usual schedule, and note unusual events such as a large catering booking or a temporary menu change. Keep the exercise small enough that staff can maintain it; a paper sheet on a clipboard can be a perfectly workable starting point.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s food-waste assessment tools include paper tracking logs and other options for food-service establishments. EPA recommends capturing the type and amount of wasted food and the reason it was discarded, because a total weight alone does not tell you what to change. Choose units your team can record reliably—such as kilograms, portions, or pieces—and use the same unit for the same item whenever possible.

What to write down at the moment of discard

Have the person handling the discard make one entry before it leaves the prep area. Record the date and time, food item, amount and unit, reason, and a short context note such as “lunch prep” or “catering order.” Keep prep waste separate from returned plate waste: the first may point to trimming, spoilage, or over-preparation, while the second can reflect serving size, menu fit, or an unusual service issue.

A copy-ready log can use these fields:

  • Date and time: When the food was discarded.
  • Food item and stage: For example, cooked rice—prep, or salad—returned plate.
  • Amount and unit: Weight, portions, or pieces; be consistent.
  • Reason: Use a short shared set of labels, such as spoilage, over-preparation, trim, cooking error, or returned/uneaten.
  • Context: Shift, menu item, or event that helps explain the entry.

Do not turn the reason list into a debate at the bin. If the cause is uncertain, write “unknown” and move on. A quick, consistent record is more useful than a detailed form that nobody completes.

Use reason codes to find a practical example

Imagine a café’s illustrative log shows 1.2 kg of roasted vegetables discarded after lunch on three separate days, each marked “over-prepared.” That pattern suggests a different question than the same amount recorded as spoiled produce or cooking errors. These figures are examples only; your own log should determine what deserves attention.

Review the entries by food item and reason, not just by total weight. Look for repeats across shifts, menu items, or order sizes. EPA’s source-reduction guidance likewise explains that knowing how much and why food is wasted can help a business identify prevention opportunities. Treat a short baseline as a clue, not proof: a holiday booking, weather change, or one-off problem can skew a small sample.

Test one change, then measure again

Pick one action that directly addresses the most repeated reason. If the log points to over-preparation, try a smaller initial batch with a planned top-up point. If it points to spoilage, review ordering quantities and storage rotation with the team. If trim dominates, check whether the preparation method or menu plan can use more of the ingredient safely. Avoid changing several things at once; otherwise it will be hard to tell what affected the result.

Keep logging the same way for another comparable period, then compare the same items and reasons. Note what changed in service volume or menu mix as well as the waste totals. A lower number in a quieter week does not automatically mean the new process worked, and this exercise cannot promise a particular cost saving. If an item’s handling or safety is in question, follow your local food-safety rules and discard it when required—never reuse food that has been discarded or is unsafe.

Fit the log into your existing records

Keep the waste log distinct from supplier invoices and stock records. For a broader food workflow, our food delivery receiving routine explains how to check, record, and store incoming deliveries, while this catering guide covers menus, purchases, fulfilled sales, and remaining supplies. Reviewing those records alongside your waste notes can help you ask better questions, but do not assume a purchase or sales record automatically explains a discard.

Ququ Food is presented as a workspace for menu products and recipes, recording purchases and sales, and reviewing supplies, inventory, and food finances. It is not described as an automatic food-waste tracker. If those broader records are useful for your operation, see Ququ’s current product overview; keep the simple waste log in the format your team can actually maintain.

A five-minute weekly review

At the end of each week, check that entries include a reason and consistent units, group repeats by item and cause, and choose at most one operational adjustment to test. Assign someone to make that change and set a date to review it. A small log is valuable when it leads to a concrete question and a measured follow-up—not when it becomes another report nobody uses.