In a year bout 11 million tons of food are disposed of in Germany – including products that would still have been edible. Bread and baked goods take up a leading position on the list of avoidable food waste, with a share of 14%, just behind fruit and vegetables. Food waste is a global problem that not only has an environmental impact, but also leads to significant economic losses. But now for the good news: In the baking industry, there are some ways to reduce the waste of raw materials and products – for example, by making beer from stale bread. Let’s take a look at how this works, what other creative solutions are available and how iba can also contribute to more sustainability in the industry.
Want to make your own beer? Try stale bread
One example of the creative use of leftovers in the baking industry is the production of beer from stale bread. One company that uses this method is the “Knärzje” brewery from Cologne. It makes beer from bread that can no longer be consumed. For this, the bread is crushed and mixed with malt, hops and water to form a mash, which is later processed in a regular beer brewing process.The Baker “Der Bäcker Feihl” from Bavaria has joined forces with the brewery “Orca Brau” to launch a beer that is now sold in bakeries and other outlets. The idea of making beer from stale bread is both sustainable and a way of offering a unique product in your business.
Apps against food waste: selling old goods at a discount
Apps such as “Too Good To Go” or “ResQClub” are a way to reduce waste in the baking industry. Many bakeries and confectioners are already using them. The advantage is that customers can use them to purchase bread and pastries at a discounted price, while the bakery can drastically reduce the amount of food that is thrown away. In addition to reducing food waste, the use of such apps can also help raise consumer awareness of how much still edible food is thrown away. It can also help establishments turn lost revenue from unsold meals into an additional revenue stream and attract new potential customers. Of course left over can also be donated to regional food banks.
Yeast oil from stale bread: The alternative to palm oil
An exciting innovation for the future of the baking industry is the production of yeast oil from stale bread. This method can minimize food waste and provide a substitute for environmentally harmful palm oil. The yeast oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and contains no harmful accompanying substances such as glycidyl esters, which are found in palm oil, for example. To produce it, bread that is no longer fresh is toasted and shredded, then fermented in a special process. The result is a more sustainable product that also has a longer shelf life than palm oil. A team of researchers at the Technical University of Munich is working with the German Federal Ministry of Economics to establish yeast oil in the baking industry and thus combat rainforest clearance and food waste.
Accurate planning, forecasting and inventory management
In addition to the above-mentioned options, bakeries can help to avoid overproduction and the associated food waste through careful planning. Calculating the demand for raw materials and products as accurately as possible can help to adjust production accordingly. Effective warehousing with regular stocktaking also helps to keep track of the food available and to avoid overproduction and unnecessary ordering.
More exciting topics
There is a lot to discover not only on the iba.BLOG, but also on iba.UNIVERSE: Find interesting articles from exhibitors on exciting food trends as well as the topics of digitalization, health, craftsmanship, complete solutions, sustainability and quality assurance.
