Zhongxin Finance, January 12 (Reporter Song Yusheng) In the past 2021, the topic of opposing food waste continued to attract attention and discussions, including the introduction of a series of policies such as the Anti-Food Waste Law and the Anti-Food Waste Work Plan.
But how can anti-food waste measures be truly binding?
How to make anti-waste common practice?
In this regard, the "China New Observation" column of Chinanews.com interviewed Fu Longcheng, president of the Chinese Cuisine Association.
Excerpts from the interview are as follows:
Chinanews.com reporter: The topic of opposing food waste will continue to attract attention and discussion in 2021. In your opinion, what are the specific manifestations of waste in the catering industry at present?
Fu Longcheng:
At present, through the propaganda and education of the party, the government, associations and social forces, the waste phenomenon in the catering industry has been greatly alleviated, but more or less waste still occurs.
The China Cuisine Association has also summarized this recently. We believe that the current food waste phenomenon is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
First, due to the random and unfixed characteristics of the customer source of the catering industry, in the procurement of some seasonal cooking ingredients, waste is caused due to poor planning and excessive procurement.
Second, the supply of catering industry emphasizes the freshness of raw materials. After some cooking raw materials are purchased, they are wasted due to the death of living creatures and the withering of vegetables due to the difficulty of preservation.
The third is the waste caused by the chef's removal of leftovers in the process of initial processing and cutting in order to pay attention to the appearance.
Fourth, in some places, large-scale banquets such as wedding banquets, conference meals, and group meals are wasted due to excessive ordering of meals due to the host's love for face and other reasons.
Fifth, in some hotel buffets in the form of breakfast buffets, hot pot buffets, etc., there are still customers who take more and less meals, resulting in waste.
Data map: A slogan against food waste is posted in a restaurant in Changsha.
Photo by Tang Xiaoqing
Chinanews.com reporter: The "Anti-Food Waste Work Plan" issued in December 2021 proposes to support buffet service units in implementing measures to appropriately increase fees for consumer waste. But judging from some reports, measures to increase fees are rare. How do you see this phenomenon?
Fu Longcheng:
Since the outbreak of the epidemic last year, the catering industry has been greatly impacted. In order to increase popularity and increase turnover, the catering industry has taken various measures to encourage consumption.
The "Plan" supports buffet service units to implement measures to appropriately increase fees for consumers' wasteful behavior, but buffet restaurants often stop at "good words and persuasion" for consumers' wasteful behavior, and measures to increase fees are rare.
The main reason is that the restaurant operators are afraid that the popularity they have finally gathered will be damaged again.
In fact, fighting against food waste is not just the work of catering practitioners. Persuasion and charging fees are just a measure. To truly avoid waste, everyone in the whole society needs to participate.
Chinanews.com reporter: Do you pay any attention to behaviors such as "eating and broadcasting" and "drinking and broadcasting"? What do you think is the problem?
Fu Longcheng:
The Chinese nation has created an extremely splendid food culture. For thousands of years, countless literati and writers have recorded many delicacies in various places with poems and songs, which have been passed down for a while.
With the continuous improvement of people's living standards, people also want to know more about the delicacies and snacks from all over the world.
But at the same time, the excessive "eating and broadcasting" and "drinking and broadcasting" on some video platforms have aroused people's disgust, which is also contrary to saving food and opposing waste.
Since last year, a series of initiatives have yielded results.
The phenomenon of "eating and broadcasting" and "drinking and broadcasting" has been greatly reduced.
It is hoped that the relevant state departments will continue to strengthen the management of entertainment programs and food communication channels such as TV, radio, and self-media, prohibit the broadcast of programs promoting "eating and drinking"
, and give "whoever hosts who" the suspected eating and drinking programs broadcast on online video platforms. Responsible" responsibility system, and do more work on introduction, publicity, and explanation on relevant platforms, instead of promoting overeating and overeating.
Data map: The little messengers of civilization launched an initiative: Practicing economy and opposing waste.
Photo by Wei Ying
Chinanews.com reporter: We have noticed that the Anti-Food Waste Work Plan mentions many specific requirements. For example, strengthen the management of meals in official activities such as official receptions, meetings, and training; warn or impose fines on catering service operators who induce and mislead consumers to over-order food and cause obvious waste... In your opinion, how to ensure the transformation of these requirements Become an operational and binding specific measure?
Fu Longcheng:
First, various government agencies and other public institutions take the lead.
All units should communicate, learn, and earnestly understand the main spirit of the "Plan" in a timely manner, improve their ideological awareness, enhance their sense of mission, responsibility, and urgency, and regard "anti-food waste" as an important political task at present.
Leading cadres of the party members of the organs take the lead in setting an example, strengthen the management of meals in official activities such as official receptions, meetings, and training, and strictly enforce the dining standards.
Consciously internalize the concept of diligence, thrift, and hard work in the heart and externalize it in the action, consciously cherish every meal, save every grain, lead the social fashion with a good style, and set a good image for the whole society as an example.
The second is strict economical management.
Improve the way of catering services. The canteens of the government can serve meals according to the number of people who eat. Catering enterprises provide small and half dishes, and put up publicity signs in conspicuous places. Buffets encourage people to take meals on demand and in small quantities, and carry out the "CD Action".
Strengthen food procurement management, build a catering supply chain platform, implement shopping platform resource sharing, and realize a decision support system for cost control, account matching, process specification, and data sharing.
The third is to strengthen system construction.
Catering associations and various departments of restaurants have formulated practical and feasible systems to prevent food waste from meeting the standards of restaurants and other assessment content, and timely adjust the creation content, creation methods and evaluation standards.
The fourth is to strengthen publicity and guidance.
Around the "Plan", carry out various forms of energy conservation and emission reduction, low-carbon action publicity and education into institutions, schools, hospitals, venues (institutions) and other activities to eliminate "waste on the tip of the tongue".
The fifth is to implement supervision and assessment.
Through unannounced and unannounced visits, a special inspection and assessment implementation plan for the implementation of the "Anti-Food Waste Work Plan" was formulated, an anti-food waste reporting mailbox was set up, and units and individuals with problems were publicly named and notified.
Data map: Everyone swears to cherish food and refuse to waste them before the luncheon. Photo by Wang Zhongju
Chinanews.com reporter: In your opinion, how should we guide the public and make it common to oppose waste?
Fu Longcheng: Saving food and opposing waste ultimately comes down to each individual's specific actions.
In my opinion, first of all, we must generally advocate and actively publicize it.
It is necessary to generally advocate civilized consumption and green and low-carbon dining methods in the whole society, increase special publicity such as "anti-waste" and "CD Action", take the initiative to remind consumers against food waste, and post or place anti-food in conspicuous places. Waste signs, or prompts and instructions from service staff, guide consumers to order and take meals in moderation as needed.
Actively cooperate with mutual inspection and supervision of canteens to correct wasteful behaviors in a timely manner.
Second, we must standardize the process and strengthen guidance.
Establish a daily management and control mechanism, so that special personnel are responsible, inspected, and summarize regularly.
Third, to improve the quality and scientific cooking.
Refine the processing method, cook scientifically, enrich the taste, and optimize the quality of the product; rationally use the raw materials, make the best use of everything, and avoid the waste of ingredients due to unreasonable processing.
Let consumers love to eat, eat well, and naturally reduce waste.
Fourth, efficient management and standard production are required.
Accumulate consumption data and quantitative analysis through intelligent hardware equipment and information management methods to improve management efficiency, and achieve scientific catering and diversified and appropriate meals through standardized production.
As long as we all work together, starting from me, advocating frugality and inheriting virtue.
I believe that with perseverance, food saving can be internalized into conscious actions, civilized dining can become a common habit for everyone, and opposition to waste will become a common practice in the whole society.
(Finish)