Waste reduction
How to reduce fresh produce waste
Most produce waste in packhouses and wholesale is stock that sat too long, was picked out of order or failed quality checks too late. Each cause has a fix you can measure.
Cut produce waste – see how it works Read the case studies
Free setup & training · Human support by named fresh produce consultants
99% fewer shipping errors
95% less produce waste with precise inventory control
90% lower administration costs
US$6,200 a year – all modules, 8 users, unlimited sites
Scale of the problem
FAO estimates about 14% of food is lost after harvest and before retail, and UNEP's Food Waste Index 2024 estimates a further 1.05 billion tonnes (19% of food available to consumers) is wasted in retail, food service and households. Fresh produce, with days or weeks of shelf life, carries a large share.
Most produce waste in packhouses and wholesale is stock that sat too long, was picked out of order or failed quality checks too late.
Six causes and fixes
| Cause | Fix in Producepak |
|---|---|
| Old lots hidden behind new ones | Lot ageing by room and position; FIFO alert at the scan |
| No warning before expiry | Predictive expiry from stock age and sales or packing speed |
| Packing ahead of orders | Pack-to-order planning board |
| Poor product accepted at receival | QC at intake with photos and supplier rejection |
| Slow intake in warm bays | Faster AI inspection – 14.5 to 4.35 min per sample |
| Wrong stock shipped and returned | Scan-verified picking and loading |
Results
| Case study | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-site vegetable packer | 3.5% of packed volume written off | 1.6% |
| Berry and leafy greens wholesaler | 6.0% of purchases dumped | 3.5% |
Related
- Fresh produce inventory management software Fresh produce inventory software that tracks every lot by age, location and quality, enforces FIFO/FEFO at the scan and…
- Multi-site vegetable packer halves stock write-offs A three-site potato, onion and carrot packer cut reporting from 14 to 3 hours a week and stock write-offs from 3.5% to…
- Produce wholesaler speeds up orders and cuts berry waste A berry, leafy greens and herb wholesaler cut order entry from 8 to 2 hours a day, dumped stock from 6% to 3.5% and…
- Fresh produce software ROI calculator Estimate what Producepak could save on waste, customer credits and admin hours, compared with its US$6,200 annual cost.…
Questions
What is the fastest way to cut produce waste?
Make stock age visible by lot and enforce FIFO when pallets are picked. In Producepak case studies this alone halved write-offs within six months.
What is FEFO?
First expired, first out – picking by expiry date rather than receival date, used when lots have different shelf lives.
Does Producepak calculate the value of waste?
Yes. Write-offs and dumps are recorded by lot and reason, with cost, so waste can be reported by product, supplier and site.
Less waste, better quality, 100% accurate shipments
- Cut waste at every step Where produce is lost – and how Producepak stops it.
- Know your real stock Live inventory, shrink tracking and stock-takes that match.
- Quality at every step QC at receiving, packing and dispatch – with photos.
- Better quality from the source Grower and supplier scorecards that lift quality.
- 100% accurate shipments Every pallet scanned and checked before it leaves.
- Stop claims and credits Proof of what shipped: photos, temperatures, labels, ASNs.
See Producepak running a business like yours
Watch the short video, then book a free live demo with a fresh produce consultant – a real person with years of industry experience.