CRISPSUM ONE-WEEK FOOD WASTE AUDIT
Version 1.1 | Updated August 5, 2026

PURPOSE
Use this worksheet to observe what leaves the kitchen, identify repeated causes, and test one small purchasing, storage, scheduling, or portion change. It is not an environmental life-cycle analysis or a reason to consume questionable food.

THREE STEPS
1. Log seven normal days. Record a discard event when it happens using a practical amount and receipt-based or reasonable cost estimate.
2. Group repeated reasons. Separate edible avoidable food from ordinary inedible parts and mark uncertainty honestly.
3. Test one change. Choose the smallest useful response to the largest repeated pattern and set a follow-up date.

FIELD NOTES
- record_status: Distinguishes your blank template from the illustrative example file.
- date: The day the discard event occurred.
- food and food_form: What was discarded and whether it was raw, cooked, opened, or prepared.
- category: A stable household group used to compare events.
- amount and unit: A practical household estimate rather than false precision.
- estimated_cost: A receipt-based or reasonable portion-cost estimate.
- discard_reason: The immediate cause, such as hidden, over-prepared, schedule change, or inedible part.
- avoidable: Yes, No, or Unsure. Do not use this field to pressure a safety decision.
- handling_context: Known timing, storage, package, or preparation facts relevant to the event.
- change_to_test: One smaller purchase, storage, scheduling, or portion adjustment.
- follow_up_date: When to check whether that experiment changed the pattern.

SAFETY BOUNDARY
Discard food when current official guidance or known handling evidence calls for disposal. Never taste questionable food or extend storage merely to improve an audit result.

RELATED CRISPSUM PAGES
/guides/food-waste-audit/
/tools/food-waste-calculator/