Last week during an audit, we found bins full of fresh tomatoes, pumpkins, and greens still vibrant, still edible.
For most people, that’s just “waste.” For us, food loss & waste arent the same thing it’s a red flag.
• Food Loss : This happens before food reaches the consumer during harvesting, handling, or storage.
• Food waste :This occurs happens after when food fit for consumption is discarded, e.g not meeting the set quality standards or human beings serving much than they can eat and they throw away the left overs.
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When produce is improperly handled, stored in unhygienic conditions, or cross-contaminated, it becomes unsafe and ends up in the bin.
Behind that loss lies more than financial cost; it’s soil, water, energy, and biodiversity lost too.
In most facilities I have audited, post-harvest losses like this account for 15–30% of production waste. And most don’t even track it.
On 9th Oct 2025, was launched in Rwanda, a standard that echoes what we see in real audits every day:
When we protect biodiversity, we protect the ecosystems that sustain safe food production.
When we reduce food loss and waste, we honor the resources nature has given us.
As auditors, we must look beyond checklists and see the bigger picture.
Each discarded tomato could have been prevented through proper hygiene, traceability, and temperature control.
Each waste bin is an opportunity to educate not just to report.
That’s why in my audits, I don’t just document findings; I work with teams to and .
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It starts in that disposal area… where awareness meets accountability.
Because every bin of wasted produce is a story we can rewrite: safely, sustainably, and responsibly.
If you’re navigating food safety audits or preparing for certification and want to discuss how to reduce loss while strengthening compliance, let’s connect.
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Atenfields specializes in guiding food handlers/ packhouses / farms through the certification process, which include system implementation, training, and audit preparation. With a proven track record, Atenfields supports businesses in Kenya in achieving compliance and unlocking their full potential.
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FoodSafety
Auditing
ISO17298 Biodiversity
Sustainability FarmToFork ZeroWaste PostHarvestLoss FoodSystems
