Food Waste Intelligence
Posted By Leanpath on Apr 14, 2025
In busy, high-volume foodservice kitchens seconds count, and efficiency is king. This reality has been a key driver of Leanpath’s innovation over the years, and we’re proud to announce a new milestone in that legacy of innovation.
Our new upgrade to Leanpath’s AI-enabled tracking delivers faster, more accurate waste tracking from day one, without time-consuming AI-model training. Using a category-based AI model, it provides increased efficiency and accuracy with the flexibility of customizing the foods you track. Simply put, it is a better way to measure, report, and reduce food waste at scale.
"Leanpath's machine vision technology has been a game-changer for our team," says Amanda Coufal, Nutrition Manager at University of Kansas Medical Center. "We've seen a significant boost in speed and efficiency, making food waste tracking faster, easier and more accurate. The time saved is invaluable, especially during our busiest periods."
Built for Enterprise. Designed for Kitchen Teams.
We know that kitchen teams are incredibly busy and that technology should lighten, not increase, their workload. Leanpath’s AI-powered tracking provides:
- Automated recognition: Staff simply place waste on a scale under a camera, and the system identifies and classifies it.
- Category-based AI model: Our approach organizes waste into recognizable food groups, so locations can continue to track their specific foods while benefitting from AI efficiencies on day one. This cuts out the cumbersome per-site AI training you might find in other solutions.
- Faster, more accurate data: By reducing manual input, your data becomes more precise, and you get it in real time.
For enterprise foodservice teams, that means immediate, consistent insights across every kitchen you manage. If you’re part of a large foodservice group or a corporate campus feeding thousands daily, you can roll out this technology quickly and start capturing actionable data without delay.
Turning Data into Action
Data alone won’t reduce food waste. The real value comes when that data leads to insight and action. Leanpath AI-enabled tracking integrates seamlessly with Leanpath Online, offering:
- Real-time analytics: Waste trends appear instantly, helping you spot problem areas before they become major issues.
- Comparisons across locations: Quickly evaluate how each site is performing, and share best practices among kitchens.
- Goal setting & reporting: Whether you’re reporting to executives, sustainability teams, or external stakeholders, you’ll have the clear metrics you need to demonstrate progress.
These features help you act on data, identify and correct the root causes of waste, refine purchasing decisions, and guide your team toward more effective kitchen practices.
Supporting Business and Sustainability Goals
The ripple effects of food waste run deep: labor inefficiencies, inflated purchasing costs, and unnecessary environmental impact. By cutting waste, foodservice operations can quickly see bottom-line savings. At the same time, sustainability is a growing priority for meeting corporate responsibility targets and complying with regulations that continue to become stricter.
AI tracking helps you tackle these challenges head on. It provides the insights to refine menus, optimize production runs, and reduce surplus. This approach scales across multiple locations, helping you lower costs, support your organization's environmental commitments, and respond proactively to waste reduction mandates.
A Practical, Scalable Path Forward
Leanpath’s AI-enabled tracking addresses the limitations of manual logging and site-specific AI models. It is designed for quick deployment, reliable data, and meaningful waste reduction results, regardless of the size of your operation.
Key highlights:
- Immediate AI recognition: No location-specific training required.
- Real-time insights: Access immediate feedback on waste trends.
- Enterprise-scale rollout: Deploy across multiple kitchens without retraining models.
Integration with Leanpath Online: Turn raw data into clear reports and dashboards for informed decision-making.
Ready to Learn More?
If you are ready to simplify your waste tracking process, increase data accuracy, and pursue meaningful sustainability goals, Leanpath's new AI tracking solution can help. We focus on providing the right data at the right time, which allows you to act quickly to reduce waste and cut costs.