A third of all food produced for human consumption worldwide gets lost somewhere between the field and the plate. According to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), 20 % of food waste in Switzerland occurs in agriculture, 35 % in processing, 10 % in wholesale and retail, 7 % in restaurants and 28 % in households. Food waste leads to unnecessary consumption of valuable resources such as farmland, nutrients, water and energy. It has a negative impact on climate pollution due to the greenhouse gas emissions generated by production and transportation. WWF estimates that the CO₂ emissions resulting from the production of wasted food account for around 10 % of global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to having environmental impacts, food waste is problematic from an ethical standpoint: while wealthy countries have a surplus of food, people in many parts of the world are starving.
Chocolate production is a highly complex process. Most of our food waste occurs in chocolate and not in the snack production, due to the methods used. As is the case when switching production from light to dark chocolate, some of this waste is unavoidable in order to prevent contamination and ensure product quality. Some of the resulting «mixed chocolate» – or «rework chocolate» – is recycled in the production process, taking food regulations into account. However, some of this chocolate is rendered unusable due to severe sensory deviations, not least in the case of flavoured chocolates. What is more, every batch yields some imperfect product, such as when the machines are adjusted at the beginning of a production run.
We implement a number of waste-reduction measures to achieve our goal of getting at least 98 % of the produced food into our sales channels. An interdisciplinary working group for food waste reduction coordinates these measures, and the departments concerned implement them. To prevent food waste, we use the following hierarchy as a guide: Avoid – Reuse – Donate – Utilise.
We are continuously working to prevent food waste by optimising processes, using technological innovations, improving production planning and optimising our management of raw materials. When a product approaches its best-before date, the relevant employee in the quality management department receives a warning. They immediately coordinate the timely utilisation of the product with the production planning and sales teams.
Production staff whose activities cause food waste due to the production processes involved (e.g. flushing) are regularly made aware of the issue of food waste.
Unavoidable food waste, such as the «mixed chocolate» produced when changing varieties during production, is reused wherever possible, in compliance with food regulations. The «Milky & Dark Fusion» chocolate from Coop’s own «Nice to Save Food» label contains chocolate produced when switching from sugar-free to sweetened chocolate or from dark to milk chocolate. Thanks to «Nice to Save Food», this high-quality blend of various types of chocolate can be used in a positive way to effectively combat food waste.
The imperfect chocolate produced during processing cannot be sold through the usual sales channels. However, as this chocolate is perfectly safe to eat, HALBA sells it at a lower price in its Schoggihüsli – the two factory shops at the production sites in Pratteln and Hinwil.
Any remaining stock that is discontinued in the regular catalogue, along with imperfect chocolate that remains unsold in the factory shops, is donated to the charitable organisations Schweizer Tafel and Tischlein deck dich or given to employees.
We use leftovers that are neither reusable nor donatable to make animal feed wherever possible in order to maximise resource conservation. Any remaining chocolate is fermented and used to produce energy, namely biogas.
The topic of food waste is enshrined in HALBA’s corporate strategy. We implement targeted measures throughout all our production processes to actively help reduce food waste and thereby facilitate the responsible use of valuable resources. We strive to continuously improve our processes, implement innovative solutions and raise awareness of the issue among our employees (and partners).
