ABSTRACT Food waste in the food service sector represents a significant sustainability challenge. However, empirical evidence that differentiates food waste across operational stages of the catering process and combines quantitative measurement with analysis of contributing factors and prevention initiatives remains limited. This study examines food waste across institutional and commercial catering establishments in Lithuania ( n = 184), using a combined survey and one‐week diary‐based measurement approach. It quantifies food waste and investigates the factors contributing to kitchen and serving waste, the types of food most frequently left on plates, and the prevention practices implemented. The findings reveal substantial variation in food waste levels across catering types. Among institutional caterers, the highest level was observed in care facilities for the elderly, where food waste amounted to 13.1% of food prepared, whereas institutions for adults with disabilities and foster care facilities for children reported the lowest levels, at 3.5% and 3.9%, respectively. In the commercial sector, restaurants and cafeterias reported similar food waste levels (6.5% and 6.8%), both higher than in hotel restaurants (4.7%). Across all settings, plate waste accounted for the largest share of total food waste (40%–83%), consisting mainly of side dishes, salads and vegetables, and bread and bakery products. Spoilage and loss of freshness were the primary contributors to kitchen waste, while overproduction predominated in serving waste. Most prevention measures were concentrated in the pre‐kitchen and kitchen stages, whereas measures targeting post‐kitchen stages were less common. This suggests a misalignment between the stages at which the largest amounts of food waste arise and those at which managerial interventions are primarily focused. The findings highlight the importance of systematic food waste monitoring, clearer accountability across operational stages, and greater attention to service‐stage practices and consumer‐oriented measures. The study therefore contributes to research on environmental management and, more broadly, to discussions of corporate social responsibility by providing empirical insights into the generation and management of food waste in heterogeneous catering systems.
Eičaitė et al. (2026) studied this question.