SUSTAINABLE CULINARY PRACTICES FOR REDUCING RESTAURANT FOOD WASTE

Restaurant food waste is an important environmental, economic, and social sustainability issue because large quantities of edible food are discarded during purchasing, storage, preparation, cooking, serving, and post-consumption. Sustainable culinary practices can help restaurants reduce unnecessary waste while improving operational efficiency, controlling costs, and supporting responsible food consumption. This study examines sustainable culinary practices for reducing restaurant food waste, with particular attention to portion control, accurate demand forecasting, menu planning, proper food storage, efficient preparation techniques, reuse of safe food ingredients, staff training, customer awareness, food donation, composting, and waste monitoring. Previous research indicates that food waste in restaurants occurs at multiple stages, with plate leftovers, overproduction, spoilage, and inaccurate forecasting among important sources. Research conducted in Lahore also found customer plate leftovers to be a major source of restaurant food waste.The study adopts a qualitative research approach and uses a systematic review and thematic analysis of relevant literature. The findings suggest that reducing food waste requires a combination of operational practices, employee knowledge, managerial commitment, and customer participation rather than reliance on a single intervention. Recent research also emphasizes circular practices and stakeholder engagement as pathways toward sustainable food-waste management.