Thursday 27 March 2025 – Did you know that ‘food waste’ has become a major global issue? The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reports that one-third of the food produced globally, or approximately 1.3 billion tons per year, becomes waste without being consumed, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.

Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd., a global leader in creating the “Eat Well, Live Well.” initiative, recognizes the importance of this issue and has launched the ‘Too Good To Waste’ project to campaign for food waste reduction. The project aims to create menus that efficiently utilize all parts of ingredients, based on the concept that ‘Every Food Counts.’ It focuses on reducing food waste from production through to consumption, while raising consumer awareness about the food waste problem and promoting a sustainable eating culture. A highlight of the project is the creation of ‘Eco-Friendly Menus’ in collaboration with four leading restaurants: Oakland Cafe X Restaurant, Ivory Coast Almond Restaurant & Chill Bar, Jirakaan, and Pen Laos. Chef Ah – Apisit Jitprasong, an expert in food and food waste reduction, has been invited to serve as the project’s consulting chef.

Chef Ah explains, “The Eco-Friendly Menus were created under the concept of ‘Make the most of the entire ingredient.’ They are divided into four menu groups: 1) Use whole ingredients, such as carrot soup made from the entire carrot; 2) Use left-over part of ingredients, such as sour soup with watermelon rind; 3) Use overripe ingredients, such as avocado chili paste from overripe fruit; and 4) Remake new menu from left-over menu, such as chili paste fried rice maki, which transforms leftover rice into a new dish. These creations form delicious and appealing fusion menus that play an important role in sustainable environmental care.”

The four leading restaurants participating in the project each developed unique menus that efficiently utilize all parts of the ingredients, under the ‘Too Good To Waste’ concept. This includes maximizing the use of leftover ingredients, creating new dishes from parts that are often discarded, and modifying cooking methods to minimize food waste.

1. Oakland Cafe X Restaurant – Presents roasted shrimp with Thai herbs and shrimp stir-fried Siam pizza, utilizing all parts of the shrimp.
2. Ivory Coast Almond Restaurant & Chill Bar – Creates southern curry with betel leaves, fried soft-shell crab, and a grilled floral dish, using the left-over part of vegetables and flowers for new creations.
3. Jirakaan – Offers Tom Yum Mocktail/Cocktail beverages made from leftover Tom Yum vegetables, and pumpkin stuffed with matcha custard, which can be eaten whole, including the skin.
4. Pen Laos – Crafts royal chili paste from fermented fish sauce residue into a new edible dish, and fried shrimp heads with herbs, which can be eaten whole, including the shell.

Mrs. Piroonrat Wangprakobsook, Public Relations Department Manager of Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd., stated that the ‘Too Good To Waste’ project has received a very positive response since its launch at the end of last year. “We are very pleased to collaborate with Chef Ah and four leading restaurants in creating delicious menus that effectively reduce food waste. We found that after each restaurant joined the project, they reduced food waste up to 20% compared to previous levels, using the “Eco-Friendly Menu” concept to maximize the use of all parts of the ingredients. We believe that this activity serves as a positive example in promoting the efficient use of ingredients and inspiring both consumers and restaurant operators to pay greater attention to food waste. In the future, we plan to expand the scope of our collaboration and drive changes in consumption behavior in Thai society to reduce resource loss and minimize environmental impacts.”

“Eat Well, Live Well.” is not just about choosing beneficial food for our bodies, but also about caring for the world to make it sustainable. If everyone helps reduce food waste, our world will improve sustainably. Follow creative Earth-Friendly Menus ideas at www.ajinomoto.co.th and Ajinomoto กรีนได้ กินดี.