Top 5 Ways to Reduce Food Waste in Your Grocery Store

December 15, 2024

Food waste is a growing issue for grocery stores due to concerns about profitability and the environment. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, global annual food waste is estimated at 1.6 billion tons, of which supermarkets are big contributors. Just in the U.S., food waste loss is estimated at over $400 billion annually. Food waste also contributes between 3% and 6% of grocery stores’ costs of goods sold, resulting in a $68.9 billion loss in the United States annually.

Reducing the handling of produce helps prevent bruising and damage that can reduce shelf life. Additionally, effective food preservation strategies and solutions like the FogMist Bar can help reduce waste, improve shelf life, and enhance the appearance of perishable items. This article will explain five ways supermarkets and grocery stores can reduce food waste using misting and humidity systems.

1. Ensure Proper Hydration for Fruits and Vegetables With Humidity Systems

To keep produce fresh, supermarkets and grocery stores should have a hydration system. Businesses that rely on hand watering risk their produce wilting. Misting and humidity systems are effective solutions for maintaining the freshness of fruits and vegetables by providing the optimal level of moisture they need to stay crisp and visually appealing.

While traditional sprinkling or misting methods can drench produce and lead to premature spoilage, modern systems create a fine mist or fog that delicately hydrates without oversaturation. Our FogMist Bar, for example, produces just the necessary moisture without excess, reducing water consumption.

FogMist to reduce produce waste

Proper hydration keeps produce vibrant and appealing and extends its shelf life. However, if moisture levels are too high, the environment can create a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, accelerating decay. Setting short, controlled fogging intervals ensures an ideal humidity balance, preventing excessive moisture buildup while keeping fruits and vegetables fresh. Fogging systems not only preserve quality and appeal but also contribute to both waste reduction and an improved customer experience.

2. Maintain Appropriate Humidity Levels in Storage Rooms

Maintaining appropriate humidity levels in cold storage rooms is critical for preserving the freshness and quality of produce. When produce is stored at the correct humidity, it retains its moisture and weight, preventing it from drying out. This helps maintain the crispness, texture, and visual appeal of fruits and vegetables, ultimately extending their shelf life.

Large spaces such as storage rooms and warehouses have unique challenges. Aguatronics is the Prodew humidity solution for large surfaces. By preventing premature dehydration, businesses can reduce spoilage, ensuring their inventory stays fresh for longer periods, which also enhances customer satisfaction.

3. Extend Freshness by Eliminating Ethylene Gas

Ethylene gas is a naturally occurring plant hormone that accelerates the ripening process in fruits and vegetables. While essential for fruit maturation and the opening of flowers, ethylene can become a problem after harvest as ripe fruits continue to emit this gas, which can compromise freshness.

ClensAir to extend shelflife

When ethylene builds up in storage areas, it speeds up ripening in nearby produce, causing overripening and reduced shelf life. This exposure not only shortens the product’s storability but also increases its susceptibility to pathogens, leading to faster spoilage.

The right environment slows down the ripening process, giving retailers more time to sell their produce before it spoils. This is particularly important for highly perishable items like leafy greens, kale broccoli, brussels sprouts, cucumbers, green beans, cauliflower, cucumbers, asparagus, carrots, and berries. By extending shelf life and minimizing spoilage, businesses not only reduce costs but also contribute to sustainability goals. Reduced food waste directly decreases an organization’s overall environmental footprint, supporting eco-friendly practices in the food industry.

ClensAir for storage

Prodew has developed the ClensAir system, a next-generation multistage ethylene and odor-removing technology. ClensAir removes ethylene from the air without releasing ozone or toxic chemicals. This system has multiple applications, from warehouses and distribution centers to retail storage. By eliminating ethylene from storage environments, businesses can extend freshness, reduce waste, and maintain higher-quality produce for longer.

Minimizing plastic bagging is equally essential to managing the ripening process. Produce needs airflow to maintain freshness, and bagging restricts this, trapping gasses that speed up spoilage. Keeping produce open also reduces the dependence on single-use plastics, promoting a more eco-friendly shopping environment that aligns with sustainability goals.

4. Reduce Bacteria in Seafood and Meat Sections

Seafood and meat are some of the most fragile and bacteria-prone food products. While odor elimination is often a key focus in these areas, the real priority should be maintaining strict control over temperature and humidity to preserve freshness and safety. ClensAir provides the ideal solution to remove odors and airborne pathogens from these departments.

Proper temperature management helps keep the cold chain intact, which prevents the growth of harmful bacteria and slows spoilage. By keeping humidity at optimal levels, stores can maintain quality and avoid conditions that encourage bacteria growth. The FogMist Bar or Block systems provide a solution by humidifying meat and seafood cases to retain freshness.

In addition, stringent cleaning protocols are critical to minimizing contamination risks. Regular cleaning, disinfecting surfaces, and ensuring separation of raw and cooked products are vital to prevent cross-contamination. With controlled temperature and humidity paired with effective hygiene practices, retailers can significantly enhance the quality, safety, and shelf life of seafood and meat, ensuring customer safety and satisfaction.

Night covers to save energy

5. Leverage Night Covers for Energy Efficiency and Freshness

Using night covers in open produce cases is an effective strategy for maintaining energy efficiency and preserving freshness. During off-hours, night covers act as insulators, keeping the temperature within produce cases stable and reducing the workload on the refrigeration units. This not only helps stores save energy but also contributes to keeping produce at an ideal, consistent temperature. By preventing temperature fluctuations, night covers reduce the risk of premature wilting or spoilage, which helps extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables. This simple addition supports sustainability by lowering energy use, reducing food waste, and enhancing produce quality for customers.

Trust Prodew to Prevent Food Waste

Prodew’s advanced technology is designed to help retailers keep perishable foods fresher for longer. With a focus on precise humidity and temperature control, Prodew’s misting and fogging systems maintain the optimal environment for fruits, vegetables, seafood, and meats, reducing spoilage and waste. By eliminating ethylene gas buildup and using efficient night covers to stabilize temperatures after hours, Prodew ensures that produce remains vibrant and appealing while conserving energy.

Their solutions also promote eco-friendly practices by minimizing single-use plastics and lowering food waste across grocery stores. With Prodew’s innovative systems, businesses can confidently extend product freshness and contribute to a sustainable, waste-free future. Discover how Prodew solutions improve food storage, increase freshness, and reduce food waste. Contact our experts today.

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