Start with the quantities staff recorded
On Monday, the log records 1.2 kg of tomatoes as overripe. On Wednesday it records another 0.8 kg of tomatoes as prep surplus. Bread appears twice: four slices marked stale and two slices with no reason entered. A soup entry has no quantity or unit.
Those labels are the reasons entered in the log. They do not explain, by themselves, why too many tomatoes were prepared or why bread went stale.
Add quantities that can be compared
A prepared summary could show tomatoes at 2.0 kg in total, with 1.2 kg recorded as overripe and 0.8 kg as prep surplus. Bread totals six slices, of which four were marked stale and two have no recorded reason.
The soup entry remains outside the quantity totals until someone can confirm its amount and unit. Kilograms and slices stay on separate lines.
Decide what is worth looking at next
The owner might ask the relevant shift about the two bread slices and the soup entry, then compare the tomato log with the restaurant's prep notes. That is a starting point for a conversation; the entries alone do not establish the underlying cause.
The owner decides whether a change to prep or ordering is appropriate. The summary does not place an order or alter production.
Leave missing details open
If the soup quantity cannot be recovered, it remains an incomplete entry. A clear list of what was recorded and what was not is still useful for the next review.
Questions you may have
Can different units be combined into one waste total?
Not meaningfully in this example. Tomatoes are measured in kilograms and bread in slices, so each has its own total.
Do the recorded reasons explain the underlying cause?
They show the reasons staff entered for individual items. The owner may need other information to understand why the waste happened.
What should happen to an entry with no quantity?
Keep it on the review list as incomplete. Do not invent a quantity or include it in a numerical total.
Sources and further reading
- Working to reduce food waste
The National Restaurant Association discusses recording food waste details for production and purchasing planning.
- How do I do expenses, wastage logs and inventory for my restaurant?
A restaurant discussion asks about expenses, waste logs and inventory.
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