Bakers need to 'use their loaf' to stop wastage
Do you visit bakeries for a sweet treat? And have you ever wondered what happens to the unsold bread? Lately, on Chinese social media, the topic of "how bakeries handle unsold food" has been buzzing.
Some customers gripe that as closing time nears, some bakeries toss out pricey bread and pastries in bulk, preferring waste over discounts.
Others lament – "The prices are too steep; it's been ages since I've had any."
Indeed, finding bread under ten yuan (US$1.3) in bakeries is rare these days, with some loaves priced at fifty or sixty yuan.
With sky-high prices on one side and high wastage on the other, how did this distorted production and sales model come about?
Large quantities of unsold bread thrown into a garbage bag.
Wastage rates exceeding 50%: Massive bread wastage
Unlike ice cream, bread sits on shelves at room temperature, leading to a short shelf life. If unsold by day's end, it's often discarded.
"Freshly baked bread lasts only 24 hours, while packaged bread lasts three days," explained a bakery manager in Wan'an, Jiangxi Province, in an interview with Xinhua news agency.
"To maintain taste and quality, near-expiry bread must be removed from shelves."
Given the short shelf life, why not reduce production?
First and foremost, a full shelf creates a visual impact, stimulating customers' desire to purchase, says a bakery manager.
Shelves are filled with sweet breads at a bakery in Xuchang, Henan Province, tempting customers.
Additionally, cutting back on bread types doesn't meet varied customer demands.
"Young people nowadays prefer freshness, so we need to constantly introduce new varieties," said Lu Liang, a Shanxi Province bakery owner.
However, some netizens noticed that some businesses would rather toss bread than offer discounts.
A bakery owner admitted: "We fear customers waiting for discounted bread, hurting daytime sales".
Additionally, this approach doesn't incur any "penalty" for owners.
"Businesses have already calculated the cost of wastage into pricing," noted Zhu Danpeng, a food industry analyst.
An employee throws away unsold bread at a bakery in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
How to manage excess bread?
When bread doesn't sell, it's tossed, leading to huge waste.
Isn't there a better way to deal with this?
Some bakeries, like one in Yichun, Jiangxi Province, give away near-expiration products for free.
"If bread remains unsold on the second day after it came out, we discount it for sale," said a bakery's manager.
"If it's still unsold on the third day, around 6pm, we give it to sanitation workers or delivery riders."
A screenshot of the "blind boxes" activity launched by a bakery on Yuyuan Road in Shanghai.
As well as donations, some businesses sell unsold items through "blind boxes," popular among youngsters.
A bakery on Yuyuan Road in Shanghai launches a one-hour limited-time bread blind box sale every night from 8pm to 9pm, with a monthly sales volume exceeding 400.
One customer enthused: "It's great; it saves food and lets everyone buy bread at a low price."
In fact, lots of bakeries struggle with what to do with unsold bread at closing time.
Some can send it to stores with channels for recycling into animal feed, but many just toss it out instead of donating it to people in need, according to a seasoned baking instructor.
"Sharing requires effort and may invite trouble," he explained.
To improve this, Zhu suggests businesses should actively move away from extensive production models and implement precise distribution. Furthermore, comprehensive industry standards would benefit the healthy development of the industry.
"Introducing detailed regulations for waste reduction and standardized operational procedures would promote a healthier industry," Zhu recommended.
