Gen Y and Tasmanians too shy to ask for doggy bags
Gen Y diners are our biggest food wasters, with one in four too embarrassed to ask for a doggy bag when dining out.
It's a contributing factor to Australians throwing out $8 billion worth of edible food every year.
Tasmanians are the most embarrassed of any state when asking for restaurant leftovers, according to a new survey commissioned by Unilever Food Solutions, one of the world's biggest food service suppliers.
It found 22 per cent of Tasmanians wouldn't ask for a doggy bag, even when they wanted one.
And when broken down by age, 26 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds said they were too bashful to ask to take their leftovers home.
"Get over it. What a first world problem," said chef Christine Manfield who is getting behind a campaign against food waste. "Secondly don't over order."
Unilever commissioned the report to bring awareness to food waste and to promote
Good Fork Week, from October 14 to 20, which encourages chefs and food operators to implement more effective waste management practices and reduce the hidden costs of waste.
The survey was conducted in August this year, nationally, among 1227 respondents, aged 18 to 64.
It is up to the discretion of the restaurant if they hand over a doggy bag.
"We had very little wastage," Mansfield said of her now-closed restaurant, Universal, in Sydney's Darlinghurst.
"In terms of kitchen morality and ethics, we would always turn stuff into something, a staff lunch or something. There is always ways of using things up, and being creative with the resources that you have.
"You are minimising the amount of waste that you have, that you throw out on a daily basis. Whether its plant or animal, you really should use the whole thing up."
While doggy bags are not banned in NSW, Queensland Victoria or NSW, it is up to the discretion of the restaurant if they hand over a doggy bag.
"The big thing is having a conscience about it," said Ms Manfield. "It's no big deal. Ask for it. If you got some leftover rice or noodles, you can easily eat it the next day or turn it into something else. It's still nutritious."
There are potential health risks if food in doggy bags is not stored and handled properly after leaving a restaurant and it is the responsibility of the consumer to store and handle leftovers safely to minimise the risk of food poisoning.
Top Doggy Bag Tips
- Ask for leftovers to be packed in food-grade container
- Refrigerate at below 5C as soon as you get home, preferable within 4 hours
- Consume within 1 day of purchase
- Warm to piping hot, if the food was originally hot
- Beware of cross contamination in the fridge, keep away from raw meats, etc
Who's Too Embarrassed To Ask For A Doggy Bag?
By state
- QLD - 14%
- SA and NT - 14%
- WA - 17%
- NSW and ACT - 18%
- VIC - 18%
- TAS - 22%
By age
- 18-24 yrs - 26%
- 25-34 yrs - 19%
- 35-49 yrs - 18%
- 50-64 yrs - 5%
