Template
Food waste log template
Record measured food discards, tare, stage, observed reason, and matching cost-basis reference without automatic totals or cause diagnosis.
A discard log records what food was observed being discarded, when it happened, at which preparation or service stage, and how much remained after tare. It is not a yield test, an inventory-shrink calculation, or a record of every loss that may have occurred. The worksheet stores observations and references; it does not total costs. Use a matching purchase or recipe cost separately when you value the recorded quantities.
How to record a food discard
- Record it at the point of discard. Enter the date, shift, time, food or recipe version, stage, and the observed reason. A recorded reason is an observation, not proof of a systemic cause.
- Measure gross amount and tare. Record gross weight when food is weighed in a container, record the container tare, and subtract it to get net discarded food.
- Keep the unit and state. Note weight, volume, or count and whether the food is raw, trimmed, cooked, or ready to serve. Do not combine different units into one quantity.
- Link the matching valuation. Record the ingredient or recipe cost basis and date. Use a matching unit cost for an itemized discard; do not apply the same yield loss twice.
- Review without assigning a cause. Compare repeated observations and follow up on records or processes. Separate donations, transfers, and approved non-sale use from food actually discarded.
Your worksheet
Fill in your own records, then print or download them. Fields are optional. No costs, quantities, percentages, or totals are calculated. Entries stay in this page and are not saved by this site. Keep a downloaded or printed copy if you need the record later.
Food waste log template
- Kitchen / location
- ________________
- Date / shift
- ________________
- Reviewed by
- ________________
- Events / measurement method
- ________________
Entry 1
- Time / recorded by
- ________________
- Food / recipe version
- ________________
- Preparation / service stage
- ________________
- Observed discard reason
- ________________
- Gross measured quantity
- ________________
- Container tare, if used
- ________________
- Net discarded quantity
- ________________
- Unit and food state
- ________________
- Cost-basis record / date
- ________________
- Exceptions / follow-up
- ________________
From observed discard to a traceable cost
- Observe Food and stage
Identify the product, recipe version, and point in the process.
- Measure Net discard
Subtract container tare and retain the quantity unit/state.
- Link Cost basis
Match to a dated purchase or recipe cost per unit.
- Review Recorded amount
Use arithmetic to value the entry; do not infer a cause.
Separate observed discard from related records
These records can inform a review, but they describe different events and use different denominators.
| Record | What is measured | Typical calculation | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food waste log | Identified food actually discarded | Discarded quantity × matching unit cost | All waste, lost sales, or a root cause. |
| Yield test | Input and usable output for a named preparation | Stage output ÷ stage input | That all missing quantity was discarded. |
| Inventory count | Stock quantity at a cutoff | Pack-to-count conversion, if needed | That a difference is waste or theft. |
| Period variance review | Actual and theoretical period food cost | Difference after eligible documented adjustments | The cause of the remaining difference. |
Record at the point of discard
Record food actually discarded at the time it is observed. Name the food, recipe version, process stage, amount, and reported reason; do not turn that reason into a broader diagnosis.
- Record one clear quantity and unit for each entry. Do not add weights, volumes, and counts into one total.
- If weighing a container, record gross weight and tare and independently check the net quantity.
- Keep mixed post-consumer waste separate from identifiable ingredient waste. A mixed-bin weight cannot be priced as one ingredient.
Keep the valuation basis traceable
Link the entry to a matching ingredient or recipe cost and the same food state. Keep packaging discards separate and avoid counting a yield loss already deducted elsewhere.
Map the discard event to a traceable entry
A container and food weigh 3.0 lb together. The empty container weighs 0.5 lb, and a matching purchase record gives a $2.00 per lb cost.
Inputs
- Gross weight
- 3.0 lb
- Container tare
- 0.5 lb
- Matching unit cost
- $2.00 per lb
- Same-period purchases
- $1,000.00
- Net food discarded = 3.0 lb − 0.5 lb = 2.5 lb.
- Recorded discard cost = 2.5 lb × $2.00 per lb = $5.00.
- Relative to $1,000 of same-period purchases, the recorded amount is $5 ÷ $1,000 × 100 = 0.50%. This ratio is not lost revenue or proof of a cause.
- Purchase share: $5.00 ÷ $1,000 × 100 = 0.50%
Result: $5.00 recorded discard cost
Subtract tare before costing. Keep item calculations unrounded until the final currency display; percentages display to two decimal places where shown.
Review without guessing causes
Look for repeated item and stage observations, then verify the underlying records. Donations, transfers, and approved non-sale use need a separate disposition; they are not automatically discarded food.
Value only what the record supports
Keep the observed food, stage, tare, unit, and cost basis together. A cost estimate is only as specific as those records. Do not merge it with yield loss or interpret an inventory difference as measured waste; review documented events separately from any unexplained period variance.