According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), about one-third of the food produced each year in the world is discarded without being consumed. Especially in developed countries such as Japan and the U.S., a large amount of food that is still edible is thrown away.

The University of Illinois, located in the United States, is working to reduce the amount of food loss that occurs in its cafeterias. Brenna Ellison, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, presented how changing from traditional circular dishes to oval dishes with a smaller surface area can significantly reduce food loss in the dining hall.

Ellison’s team had previously worked with University Housing of Illinois on an educational campaign to reduce waste, but without success. So, he says, they thought about changing the tableware. The research team conducted a study of tableware in two University Housing dining halls. A circular dish and an oval dish were provided, both with the same menu, and tested in each dining hall. After observing more than 1,200 meals, the research team found that food selection, consumption, and waste were significantly reduced when oval tableware was used. In terms of food loss, 15.8% of food was disposed of on circular dishes, compared to 11.8% on oval dishes. This means about 20 grams less food is wasted per serving dish, a significant difference for a diner serving thousands of meals.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, as much as five times the size of the Tokyo Dome is thrown away in one year in Japan, making food loss a major problem. This study was conducted in a buffet-style school cafeteria, and the results may not be the same for all meals, but restaurants may be able to reduce waste by using different types of tableware and serving methods.

[Reference site] Smaller plates help reduce food waste in campus dining halls | College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences :: University of Illinois
[Reference site] Understanding the Current Status of Food Loss: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan
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