Rare S.A.M.J.R. Posted July 21 #1 Share Posted July 21 Just off Harmony. DD did the "Sip, Tour, Brunch" tour and got a tour of the galley (she wants to be a pastry chef, so we thought this would be interesting). She told us all the "wasted" food is put into an incinerator (that's what she thinks they said), burned, then every day or so, the food is dumped overboard for the fish. Take that as the word of an 18 year old relaying what she was told 6 hours later. (Accuracy not guaranteed. 😄) I know there's been much chatting about discarded/wasted food, so wanted to pass along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
time4u2go Posted July 21 #2 Share Posted July 21 I didn't know they burned it. I thought they just grind it up and dump it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seville2Cabo Posted July 21 #3 Share Posted July 21 Just now, time4u2go said: I didn't know they burned it. I thought they just grind it up and dump it. We did the all access and said they grind and dump. Also said the line average was under 10% waste. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted July 21 #4 Share Posted July 21 8 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said: incinerator (that's what she thinks they said) Probably the misunderstanding of a macerator. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not-enough-cruising Posted July 21 #5 Share Posted July 21 3 minutes ago, time4u2go said: I didn't know they burned it. I thought they just grind it up and dump it. They don’t burn it; just grind and expel at the appropriate time. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted July 21 #6 Share Posted July 21 9 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said: Just off Harmony. DD did the "Sip, Tour, Brunch" tour and got a tour of the galley (she wants to be a pastry chef, so we thought this would be interesting). She told us all the "wasted" food is put into an incinerator (that's what she thinks they said), burned, then every day or so, the food is dumped overboard for the fish. I know there's been much chatting about discarded/wasted food, so wanted to pass along. All unconsumed food is ground to required size and discharged overboard when away from shore. That is food that people leave on their plates. Food that exceeds it's hold time. Food that "expires". Consider each day that 100% of the food at the buffet at closing time is thrown overboard. Consider that for every chafing dish of food being displayed, there are a few more in hot boxes to refill the buffet line which is also thrown overboard. Hot food. Desserts, Cold salads. Everything is discarded. The food in the MDRs is not cooked to order. It is made in big batches and also held for service. 50 gallons of soup. Hot boxes full of veg side dishes. All of that can only be held (I think is 4 hours), so food prep'ed at 3:00 for dinner service is fish food by 7:00. Fresh hot pizza put out a Sorentos at 5 mins to closing, is thrown in the trash exactly at closing time. They are suppose to have the display filled with pizza until closing, so they are cooking za that they know with be thrown out in minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare S.A.M.J.R. Posted July 21 Author #7 Share Posted July 21 OK. I'm assuming it's been mentioned here before and I must have missed it (or didn't remember it). Sorry for bringing up something already known. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la_croisiere_s'amuse Posted July 21 #8 Share Posted July 21 34 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said: OK. I'm assuming it's been mentioned here before and I must have missed it (or didn't remember it). Sorry for bringing up something already known. So far, it looks like 150 people have viewed this thread. I'm guessing at least one of them didn't know this. = My roundabout way of saying there's no need to apologize for wanting to share information. 🙂 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ONECRUISER Posted July 21 #9 Share Posted July 21 Circle of Life... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeW Posted July 21 #10 Share Posted July 21 Thought they just relabeled food for next day's buffet.... 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BND Posted July 21 #11 Share Posted July 21 Besides being talked about on tours, it's been in videos done about some ships that have been shown on channels like Nat Geo and I think Discovery. Those are very interesting and informative. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BND Posted July 21 #12 Share Posted July 21 4 minutes ago, LeeW said: Thought they just relabeled food for next day's buffet.... You probably meant this tongue in cheek, but that is against food safety rules/laws Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare squattie Posted July 21 #13 Share Posted July 21 Our captain told us they ground all the leftovers up and sell them to Carnival as burgers. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chengkp75 Posted July 21 #14 Share Posted July 21 The ships have a central garbage disposal system. This takes water from a tank, and pumps it to every garbage disposal on the ship (one at each dishwashing machine, one at each potwashing station, etc. The food waste from the plates and pots is washed down into this disposal, that grinds up the food, and the water carries the waste back to the tank. Leftover food, and discarded food that was put into garbage cans at the dining venues, is all taken to the garbage area, placed in a walk-in refrigerated garbage room, until the evening. A night shift crew member (or a couple of crew) take all the garbage cans of food and feed it into disposals that are located near the garbage rooms. When the ground garbage is returned to the tank by the circulating water, it is separated from the water by a filter screen. The water is reused, pumping it back to the disposals around the ship, and the ground food waste (about the consistency of oatmeal) is transferred to another storage tank, and then pumped overboard at night. Some ships will dry out the "oatmeal" and burn it in the incinerators, rather than pumping overboard. Either is allowed. As noted, I think the comment about using it in the buffet was in jest, but as pointed out, it is not done. There are no "leftovers" on a cruise ship. Once food has left "temperature control" (a piece of equipment where the temperature can be monitored and controlled (an oven or hot box, or a refrigerator), it goes on "time control", meaning it must be discarded after 4 hours on time control, and cannot be returned to "temperature control" again (can't be put back in a fridge and start the clock over). Places like the steam tables in the buffet, or the plating stations in the galley are not "temperature control devices", and so once it is on the line it has to go after 4 hours. 7 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean Boy Posted July 21 #15 Share Posted July 21 2 hours ago, time4u2go said: I didn't know they burned it. I thought they just grind it up and dump it. Right. What would be the point of dumping ash into the sea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean Boy Posted July 21 #16 Share Posted July 21 17 minutes ago, squattie said: Our captain told us they ground all the leftovers up and sell them to Carnival as burgers. And everyone on the Carnival board brags about that burger joint that they have on those ships. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Tree_skier Posted July 21 #17 Share Posted July 21 1 hour ago, S.A.M.J.R. said: OK. I'm assuming it's been mentioned here before and I must have missed it (or didn't remember it). Sorry for bringing up something already known. I had no idea what they did with it... Macerator sounds about right though. Interesting information. I've often wondered if there was a plan to reuse food cooked but not served in some kind of leftover idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joepeka Posted July 21 #18 Share Posted July 21 2 hours ago, Biker19 said: Probably the misunderstanding of a macerator. We've done the all access/behind the scenes/etc. tours on several ships that it's always been explained the way Chief mentions above. In fact, on one tour, they mentioned the ocean fish seem to be in tune with when and where the emulsion will be discharged and are johnny on the spot to scarf down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovesthebeach2 Posted July 21 #19 Share Posted July 21 53 minutes ago, chengkp75 said: The ships have a central garbage disposal system. This takes water from a tank, and pumps it to every garbage disposal on the ship (one at each dishwashing machine, one at each potwashing station, etc. The food waste from the plates and pots is washed down into this disposal, that grinds up the food, and the water carries the waste back to the tank. Leftover food, and discarded food that was put into garbage cans at the dining venues, is all taken to the garbage area, placed in a walk-in refrigerated garbage room, until the evening. A night shift crew member (or a couple of crew) take all the garbage cans of food and feed it into disposals that are located near the garbage rooms. When the ground garbage is returned to the tank by the circulating water, it is separated from the water by a filter screen. The water is reused, pumping it back to the disposals around the ship, and the ground food waste (about the consistency of oatmeal) is transferred to another storage tank, and then pumped overboard at night. Some ships will dry out the "oatmeal" and burn it in the incinerators, rather than pumping overboard. Either is allowed. As noted, I think the comment about using it in the buffet was in jest, but as pointed out, it is not done. There are no "leftovers" on a cruise ship. Once food has left "temperature control" (a piece of equipment where the temperature can be monitored and controlled (an oven or hot box, or a refrigerator), it goes on "time control", meaning it must be discarded after 4 hours on time control, and cannot be returned to "temperature control" again (can't be put back in a fridge and start the clock over). Places like the steam tables in the buffet, or the plating stations in the galley are not "temperature control devices", and so once it is on the line it has to go after 4 hours. If I recall correctly, when we were at Captains corner last year on the Odyssey TA, Captain Sindre’s answer as to what they do with the leftover food sounded like they inecenerate it. He didn’t mention it being dumped if I recall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chengkp75 Posted July 22 #20 Share Posted July 22 There is a new system as well, that takes the ground food waste slurry and sends it to a "micro digester" which is like a chest freezer sized septic tank where bacteria digest the food waste before essentially water is discharged overboard. I believe Carnival has done this, or is doing this, to all ships in the fleet, and I believe RCI and others are using this on newer ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chengkp75 Posted July 22 #21 Share Posted July 22 10 hours ago, Ocean Boy said: Right. What would be the point of dumping ash into the sea? Incinerator ash is not allowed to be dumped at sea, it must be landed for disposal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soremekun Posted July 22 #22 Share Posted July 22 Off topic: This discussion of discarded food made me think of pagpag. We are so privileged to be able to enjoy our passion of travel and leisure. We should always be thankful. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Researcher Posted July 22 #23 Share Posted July 22 We did the Sip Tour Brunch again last month and were also informed that they grind it and then release it to the sea. Our guide said that on some days you can see the trail next to/behind the boat. It all is fine with me. Feed the wildlife and less to dump on-land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chengkp75 Posted July 22 #24 Share Posted July 22 (edited) 31 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said: We did the Sip Tour Brunch again last month and were also informed that they grind it and then release it to the sea. Our guide said that on some days you can see the trail next to/behind the boat. It all is fine with me. Feed the wildlife and less to dump on-land. I'd be surprised if you could see the plume, as it is discharged 10-15 feet below the surface and ahead of the propellers. And at night. Edited July 22 by chengkp75 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo&fran Posted July 22 #25 Share Posted July 22 9 hours ago, chengkp75 said: There is a new system as well, that takes the ground food waste slurry and sends it to a "micro digester" which is like a chest freezer sized septic tank where bacteria digest the food waste before essentially water is discharged overboard. I believe Carnival has done this, or is doing this, to all ships in the fleet, and I believe RCI and others are using this on newer ships. Is there a reason for doing this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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