Tackling Food Waste

Food waste in the United States is estimated to exceed 100 billion pounds per year. Exact figures are unknown, as tracking food waste is notoriously difficult at every level of the supply chain.

Here at Lunds & Byerlys, our ability to more precisely track and reduce food waste on our deli food bars is now possible through a partnership with Phood Solutions. Based on initial results, we anticipate further reducing our annual food waste by nearly 150,000 pounds.

Through the use of a scale, computer vision, and artificial intelligence, Phood allows Lunds & Byerlys team members to quickly and easily scan and weigh food as it is added to the food bar and then again before any food is discarded. Utilizing Phood’s robust reporting, we can make necessary adjustments to our daily food offerings to ensure significantly less food is wasted by providing our customers with the right food offerings at the right time.

“We are deeply committed to providing our customers with a wide variety of fresh, high-quality food options while also being good environmental stewards,” says Katie Swenson, Director of Deli

Operations at Lunds & Byerlys. “Phood provides us a tremendous tool to track our waste so we can make smarter decisions about the quantity of each offering on our expansive food bars.”

Lunds & Byerlys is the first retailer in the Twin Cities to utilize Phood’s innovative solution as yet another way to minimize food waste. Through our projected food waste reductions with Phood, along with our robust partnership with Second Harvest Heartland’s Food Rescue Program and food donations to local pig farmers, we are keeping nearly 6 million pounds of food from being wasted every year.

“Being from the Twin Cities myself, it’s particularly exciting to bring this program into Lunds & Byerlys,” says Max Mliner, head of operations at Phood. “Since installation, every level of the organization has been incredibly engaged—eager to achieve substantial waste reductions while ensuring the highest quality food is offered to customers. We look forward to continuing to work with such an enthusiastic partner and building on this success together.”

We are so excited to partner with Phood and continue tackling food waste here at Lunds & Byerlys.