Tackling food waste – Apetit strives to considerably cut its waste volumes

Apetit Plc, Press release 17 February 2020 at 10:00 a.m.

The reduction of food waste will be one of Apetit’s key objectives this year. The annual volume of food waste produced by the Finnish food supply chain as a whole is estimated to be about 400–500 million kilogrammes.

“The EU countries are committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving the volumes of food waste by 2030 in households, restaurants and shops, and reducing food waste throughout the food system. This goal requires a great deal of work from all operators in the food system. Naturally, Apetit wants to do its part in achieving this goal,” says Sanna Väisänen, Director, Corporate Communications and Sustainability at Apetit.

Reducing waste in production is a part of Apetit’s focus on continuous improvement of efficiency.

“To further develop the systematic nature of the operations, Apetit decided to join the food industry’s materials efficiency commitment at the beginning of the year. One of the key goals of the commitment is to improve the efficiency of production and the use of raw materials. We aim to considerably cut back the waste volumes created by the production chain,” says Väisänen.

Households play a key role in the reduction of food waste

Food causes around one-third of the environmental impact generated by households. Households also produce about 30% of all food waste. The lack of planning and changing situations are some of the reasons food waste is created.

“Cutting back on food waste is one of the tangible ways we can change our impact on the environment and climate. Even the smallest actions are meaningful. Reducing waste is also reflected as tangible savings for both companies and consumers,” says Väisänen.

In order to address the issue of food waste, Apetit has collected information in a waste-themed page where Teemu Hursti, a connoisseur of vegetarian dishes, regularly shares recipes and tips on how to easily cut down your food waste. Learn more here (in Finnish).

Five tips from an expert in vegetarian cuisine on how households can cut back on food waste:

1. When preparing meals, check your fridge for any soon-to-expire ingredients you could toss in
2. Plan your meals and shopping in advance
3. Use frozen products – take what you need and put the rest back in the freezer
4. Get bold and creative with recipes– if there are suitable ingredients in your fridge, don’t be afraid to use them
5. Prepare the right amount of food – don’t overdo it

For more information, please contact:

Sanna Väisänen, Director, Corporate Communications and Sustainability, tel. +358 10 402 4041

Apetit is number one in vegetables. It is a food industry company firmly rooted in Finnish primary production. We create well-being with vegetables by offering healthy and tasty food solutions that make daily life easier. We also produce high-quality vegetable oils and rapeseed expellers for feeding stuff, and trade grain on the international markets. Apetit seeks to lead the way in vegetable-based food solutions. Apetit Plc's shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. In 2018, the company's net sales were EUR 283 million. Read more at apetit.fi.