​The Use of Digital Scales in Commercial Food Applications Can Lead to Increased Efficiencies and Profitability

​There are many benefits to using a portion scale in commercial food service. Not only do portion scales help manage costs and keep expenses consistent but they also serve as a way to manage customer expectations. In addition to these benefits, they also serve as a way to cut down on food waste as customers will be less likely to throw away food if you measure out the correct portions.

​There are two methods to measure portions: by weight and by sight. It is always best to go by weight as it is an accurate way to measure, and it is always a good idea to measure before plating. This will ensure that you’re not losing money on any product and keeping the meals consistent customer to customer or from visit to visit.

​Controlling portion size is of great importance for any company in commercial food service. Ideally, your food costs should be 30-40% of the selling price of an item. Overserving is one of the leading reasons for a dip in revenue, and even a small inaccuracy when weighing your product over time can lead to increased losses.

​For businesses in the commercial food service industry, the top priority when balancing the expenses and profits is reducing food costs. This is the most crucial part to the survival of any commercial food service business and understanding the actual cost of each food item. Higher food costs can be largely due to over portioning, and to combat over portioning, portion scales can be used to ensure correct amounts are being served. These portion scales can also be used to accurately project future costs, inventory needed, and assist management in running an effective and efficient operation.

​In the U.S., 40% of all food is wasted and a great deal of this waste is caused by over portioning. Approximately half of food waste is created for each meal served at a restaurant, causing higher expenses for the restaurant as well as contributing to 70+ million tons of wasted food per year in the United States alone. With 1/3 of the world’s food being wasted each year, using a portion scale is not only a great way to eliminate food waste but an effective way to control expenses and ensure efficient use of your products.

​Assembly is the portion of the profit triangle that commercial food service companies can completely control. Many operations allow employees to eyeball toppings onto a pizza, or lunch meat on a sandwich, which is very inefficient and hurts the bottom line. The best way to achieve consistent food costs are using digital portion scales. The easy-to-read display and quality construction of the DETECTO PS7 and P11 portion scales will keep weighing accurately long after the cheaper competitive scales quit working.

​The PS7 is manufactured for commercial food service operations and is built with the end user in mind fore ease of us. Not only the product, but the service behind it ensures that your operation is being supported, while ensuring accurate measurements, and therefore, a profitable business. With a built-in rechargeable battery pack, you don’t have to worry about the variable cost of batteries or replacing them. The PS7 scale is perfect for portion control in any salad bar, fast casual dining environments where toppings are individually added, or pastry bakery where dough can be easily portioned to ensure the tastiest of treats. A stainless steel platform and molded polycarbonate enclosure makes sure that the product will last. The NSF approval means that this scale is certified for food safety and doesn’t have any nooks or crannies where food waste will accumulate over time.

​For any restaurant, cafeteria, deli, or pizza parlor the NSF-certified DETECTO PS11 stainless steel portion control scale will make an immediate impact on both the consistency and bottom line of any company. The scale’s capacity of 11 pounds is perfect for weighing anything from produce to coffee beans. Both the DETECO PS7 and PS11 come with checkweighing mode that will aid in the pace and decisioning making process of portioning effectively. A range of weight can be programmed in both the PS7 and PS11 to change the color of the display to red, green, or backlight off in order to denote whether the product is under weight, overweight, or acceptable. This allows a user-friendly, quick-and-easy solution to portion control that ensures accuracy every time while maintaining quick food turnaround time to the end user.

​The cost of running a successful business in the commercial foodservice industry is already high in trying to control highly perishable items and eyeballing portions can raise expenses and lower the bottom line. One way to easily manage customer expectations, consistency and portion size is with the use of portion control scales. These allow any commercial food service operation to track food usage, eliminate unnecessary food waste, and fully control the assembly portion of the profit triangle. Whether it be for a cafeteria or deli, DETECTO’S PS7 and PS11 are excellent options for any of your portioning needs.