This web-course is eligible for Professional Standards code 2100 & 3330.

1. Best Practices: Reducing
Food Cost & Food Waste
December 10, 2015
ROSE WOLTERBEEK, MA, SNS
SCHOOL NUTRITION SERVICES SPECIALIST

2. Today’s Agenda:
Reducing Food Cost
& Food Waste
Resource Sharing
NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD & NUTRITION SERVICES

3. Sample Food Service Budget
Salaries/Benefits
42%
Food
39%
USDA Foods Value
6%
Supplies
10%
Other
3%
Expenditures
Salaries/Benefits
Food
USDA Foods Value
Supplies
Other
3

4. • Supplies
• Other
• Salary & Benefits
• Purchased Foods
• USDA Foods
Food Service Budget Expenses

5. • Food Purchases/Procurement practices
• USDA Foods Entitlement & Usage
• Delivery Charges/Fuel Surcharges/S&H
• Inventory (on hand and future orders)
What are your Food Costs?

6. What are your Food Costs?
• Entrée cost (bulk vs IW)
• Fruit cost (fresh vs canned)
• Milk cost (delivery frequency/buy back
option at break times)
• Vegetable cost (fresh vs canned)
• USDA Entitlement (types of food)
• Condiments: portion controlled or unlimited
access to items?

7. • Supply Purchases (trays-disposable vs.
washable, sporks, napkins, foil/wrap)
• Operational costs (chemicals & cleaning,
safety items, small-wares, towel service)
• Inventory (on hand and future orders)
What are your Supply Costs?

8. What are your Labor Costs?
• Permanent/Salaried Employees
• Employee Benefits: health/welfare,
retirement, worker’s compensation
• Substitute/Temporary Employees
• Extra Duty/Overtime hours

9. Poll Question

10. What is your Per Plate Costs?
• Menu planning programs
• Excel spreadsheet
• Invoices, procurement documents
• Preliminary data First quarter SY 2015 16

11. What is your Per Plate Costs?
Product Description
Pack
Size
(lbs or
count)
Pack
Qty
Total
Case
Size
(lbs)
Cost per
Case
Cost per LB or
count
Servings
Yielded per
LB (based
on USDA Cost per Serv.
Apple-Red Delicious 163 1 163 22.66 0.14 1 0.14
Banana-Fresh 10 1 10 8.01 0.80 5.39 0.15
Broccoli-Floret Iceless 3 4 12 22.32 1.86 28.8 0.06
Carrot-Baby Cut 5 4 20 18.35 0.92 12.9 0.07
Celery Stick-Fresh 5 4 20 24.41 1.22 12.2 0.10
Cucumber-Fresh 5 1 5 9.62 1.92 11.8 0.16
Lettuce-Romaine Chopped 2 6 12 19.45 1.62 31.3 0.05
Lettuce-Salad Mix Tossed 5 4 20 16.14 0.81 26.4 0.03
Lettuce-Shredded Fresh 5 1 5 4.00 0.80 31.3 0.03
Onion-Yellow Diced 5 1 5 6.15 1.23 12.6 0.10
Onion-Red Jumbo Fresh 10 1 10 10.65 1.07 5.7 0.19
Green Bell Pepper-Fresh 5 1 5 9.45 1.89 9.7 0.19

12. What is your Per Plate Costs?In the Classroom Daily plate cost Weekly Average Plate cost
Breakfast Bar 0.57
Fresh Fruit 0.25
Milk 0.21
Supplies 0.08 0.90
Breakfast Pizza 0.68
Orange Juice 0.16
Milk 0.21
Supplies 0.21 1.05
Cereal 0.23
Fruit cup 0.39
Milk 0.21
Supplies 0.08 0.70
Breakfast Sandwich 1.02
Apple Juice 0.18
Milk 0.21
Supplies 0.08 1.28
Waffles 0.67
USDA fruit 0.02
Milk 0.21
Condiments-syrup 0.12
Supplies 0.08 0.89 $0.96

13. Menu Types/Facility Design
• Menu Planning-What do I have?
Bulk/Scratch items-Standardized Recipes
Convenience Product-Heat & Serve
Combination-Speed Scratch
• Pros & Cons
Labor cost higher with Bulk Cooking
Food cost higher with Convenience items

14. How do I Decrease Food Cost ?
• Menu Planning
Batch cooking, processed vs. speed
scratch, leftover usage, condiments,
disposables
• Purchasing
Procurement practices, quantities (split
cases for example), surcharges, delivery
frequency, central warehouse vs. multiple
locations

15. How do I Decrease Food Cost ?
• Receiving-
Check all items in, refuse damaged
products, short pay invoices, monitor
inventory, rotate stock, correct storage
temperatures
• Preparation-
Train on standardized recipes, weigh
ingredients, use edible portions, reduce
waste, & increase use of leftovers

16. How do I Decrease Food Cost ?
• Serving-
Portion control, overproduction of
meals/items, review menu production
records (number of meals reimbursed to
number prepared)
• Department/district policies-
Cost recovery with all employee meals &
items including all school related functions

17. How do I Decrease Labor Cost ?
• Productivity-Meals per labor hour
• Staffing Ratios & types of positions for your
operation (central kitchen vs. satellite, or
combination)
• Evaluate all positions/staffing levels
• Monitor all open positions in operation
• Process in place for overtime/extra duty
requests?

18. • Implement “Offer versus Serve”
Plate analysis for students OVS can help reduce
number & volume of items produced
For example, milk item & grain item are not required to be
taken if not consumed
1000 meals X .21= $210.00 (milk)
500 meals X .18 = $ 90.00 (fresh baked grain item)
District wide savings of $300.00 X 180 Days=$54,000 food
cost savings in school year
Best Practices to Increase Consumption &
Reduce Waste?

19. • Ensure students have ample time to eat
• Complete a food waste assessment to
determine which items are wasted
• Implement Smarter Lunchroom techniques
• Merchandising & display of food
• If health department allows, set up a “share
table”
Best Practices to Increase
Consumption & Reduce Waste?

20. • Set up a compost for gardens
• Set up a recycling with student groups
(separate items, weigh items, report out)
• Ensure students have variety of choices
with items they like to eat
Best Practices to Increase
Consumption & Reduce Waste?

21. Poll Question

23. Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition
Contains over 1200 food items for purchasing & yields

25. Reducing Food Cost and Waste
Resources:
Nevada Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Division
http://nutrition.nv.gov
United States Department of Agriculture
https://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/resource-library/food-
service/environmental-conservation
http://www/fns.usda.gov/tn/food-buying-guide-school-meal-programs
Institute of Child Nutrition
http://www.icn.org
Financial Management Series ICN
http://www.nfsmi.org/ResourceOverview.aspx?ID=63
Smarter Lunchrooms
http://smarterlunchrooms.org/

26. Webinar archive:
https://www.youtube.com/user/nevadaagriculture
Professional Standards Learning Codes:
3000 series
3200 Program Management
3300 Financial Management
Upcoming in person NDA training!
Procurement Spring 2016

27. Questions?
Type in question or raise hand