Food Waste Management System

The Food Waste Management System certification, developed by Bureau Veritas Italia, attests to the compliance of CIRFOOD’s food waste management system with the applicable standard. The standard adopts a systemic approach that enables effective action in the prevention and management of food loss and waste. At the facility where it is implemented, the system covers the stages of procurement, goods receiving, raw material storage, meal preparation and packaging. Its maintenance is ensured through a continuous improvement approach, which includes regular actions such as staff training and awareness, planning, implementation of measures, and performance monitoring.

Each year, approximately 89 million tons of food are wasted in the European Union, while more than 800 million people worldwide suffer from undernourishment. In addition to severe social and economic consequences, food waste has a significant environmental impact: excessive use of natural resources, increased waste generation, biodiversity loss, and rising greenhouse gas emissions.

Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the European "Farm to Fork" strategy, the standard aims to contribute to the 50% reduction of food waste by 2030. It can be adopted by any operator in the food supply chain—from primary production to processing, distribution, logistics, and food service.

This certified system represents a concrete opportunity to optimize production processes, reduce economic losses linked to food waste, and support alignment with the EU “Farm to Fork” strategy, contributing to the achievement of SDG 2 “Zero Hunger,” SDG 12 “Responsible Consumption and Production,” and SDG 13 “Climate Action,” with the ultimate goal of halving global per capita food waste by 2030.