Sodexo Urges Consumers to ‘Save the Food’

Foodservice provider Sodexo has revealed promotional plans supporting Save the Food, a national public service campaign created by the Ad Council and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The campaign encourages Americans to make simple lifestyle changes to reduce waste in their own homes. Through the rest of the year, Sodexo will be the only foodservice company involved in the initiative.

Consumer actions recommended by the campaign include making shopping lists, freezing food, and using leftovers. The initiative originally launched in April 2016.

“To move food from farm to fork expends up to 10 percent of the total U.S. energy budget, uses 50 percent of U.S. land and guzzles 80 percent of all freshwater consumed in the United States,” noted Ted Monk, VP of sustainability and corporate responsibility at Gaithersburg, Md.-based Sodexo USA. “Despite that investment, 40 percent of food in the United States today goes uneaten. Sodexo’s promotion of Save the Food seeks to significantly reduce the nearly $165 billion in wasted food that Americans throw out annually.”

Sodexo already works with its teams, clients and suppliers to reduce food waste in its ordering, storage, preparation and serving at client sites. Nearly 90 percent of the company’s sites are implementing equipment and process steps to reduce organic waste. The provider also collaborates with various companies and organizations to encourage consumer food waste reduction and inform policy, including partnerships with local food recovery organizations to collect and redistribute extra food from college campuses to allied community organizations. These partnerships have resulted in more than 7 million pounds of food going to the needy.

“Sodexo is committed to making a dent in the food waste issue we have in this country,” said Dana Gunders, senior scientist at the New York-based NRDC and author of “Waste Free Kitchen Handbook.” “We can’t reach the goals of reducing food waste without collaboration from leaders like Sodexo who are willing to pitch in by helping to educate consumers.”