A whole salmon costs €18 per kilo, but after filleting you're left with just 55% usable meat - making your actual fillet price €32.73 per kilo. Most chefs calculate recipe costs using purchase prices, ignoring the 5-15% hidden markup from waste and trim loss. This oversight can drain hundreds of euros monthly from your margins.
Why waste and trim loss eat into your profit
You buy salmon for €18 per kilo. In your recipe you calculate with €18 per kilo. But after filleting you only have 55% left. Your actual fillet price is €32.73 per kilo. That difference of €14.73 per kilo goes straight out of your margin.
⚠️ Watch out:
Many kitchens estimate trim loss instead of measuring it. "About 40%" can actually be 60%. That costs you hundreds of euros per month.
The 3 types of waste you need to account for
Not all waste is the same. For an accurate cost price you need to distinguish three types:
- Trim loss: Inedible parts (bones, skin, peels)
- Cooking loss: What evaporates, dries out or gets thrown away during cooking
- Portion inconsistency: Oversized portions from cooks
💡 Example trim loss:
Whole salmon of 2 kg for €36:
- Purchase price: €18/kg
- After filleting: 1.1 kg fillet
- Trim loss: 45%
- Actual fillet price: €18 ÷ 0.55 = €32.73/kg
You're paying €14.73 more per kilo than you thought!
How to measure trim loss (not estimate it)
Guessing costs money. Measure it once properly, then you know it forever. Grab a scale and do this:
- Weigh the product upon arrival
- Process it completely
- Weigh the end result
- Calculate: (Purchase weight - End weight) ÷ Purchase weight × 100 = Trim loss %
💡 Example measurement:
Whole chicken of 1.8 kg:
- Purchase weight: 1.8 kg
- After deboning: 1.2 kg meat
- Trim loss: (1.8 - 1.2) ÷ 1.8 × 100 = 33%
- Yield: 67%
Actual meat price: Purchase price ÷ 0.67
Standard trim loss percentages
You can use these percentages as a starting point. Then measure your own loss for better accuracy:
- Fish (whole → fillet): 40-55%
- Beef (whole → portions): 15-25%
- Chicken (whole → deboned): 30-40%
- Shrimp (unpeeled): 35-50%
- Vegetables (peels): 15-25%
- Potatoes: 15-20%
Cooking loss: what disappears during cooking
You also lose weight during cooking. Meat releases moisture, vegetables shrink, sauces reduce. This loss must also be included in your cost price.
💡 Example cooking loss:
Steak of 200g raw:
- Raw weight: 200g
- After grilling: 160g
- Cooking loss: 20%
For 160g on the plate you need to buy 200g.
How to incorporate this into your recipes
For each step in your recipe you calculate the actual costs. Not the purchase price, but what it actually costs you after all losses. Based on real restaurant P&L data, establishments that track these losses properly see 8-12% better margins than those using purchase prices alone.
- Step 1: Purchase price ÷ (100% - trim loss%) = Price after trim loss
- Step 2: Price after trim loss × (100% + cooking loss%) = Actual cost price
- Step 3: Actual cost price × desired portion = Cost per plate
💡 Complete calculation:
Salmon fillet 180g on the plate:
- Whole salmon: €18/kg
- Trim loss: 45% (yield 55%)
- Fillet price: €18 ÷ 0.55 = €32.73/kg
- Cooking loss: 10%
- For 180g end result: 200g fillet needed
- Cost per portion: €32.73 × 0.2 kg = €6.55
Digital vs. manual tracking
You can do this in Excel, but it quickly becomes confusing. With 50+ dishes you lose track. Tools like KitchenNmbrs automatically calculate your actual cost price per recipe, including all losses.
⚠️ Watch out:
Update your trim loss percentages when you switch suppliers. Quality and size of products differ, so does the loss.
What this gets you
By properly accounting for waste and loss you get:
- Realistic cost prices (no surprises)
- Better purchasing decisions (whole vs. pre-processed)
- Correct menu price (no money lost per plate)
- Insight into which products have high loss
It takes you 30 minutes per recipe to set this up properly. But it saves you hundreds of euros per month in hidden costs.
How do you calculate actual cost price with waste? (step by step)
Measure your trim loss
Weigh the product upon arrival and after processing. Calculate the loss percentage: (purchase weight - end weight) ÷ purchase weight × 100. Do this for each main ingredient.
Calculate actual purchase price
Divide your purchase price by the yield (100% - loss%). With 40% loss: purchase price ÷ 0.60. This is your actual price per kilo of usable product.
Account for cooking loss
Measure how much weight you lose during cooking. For the desired end result you need to buy more raw product. Multiply by (100% + cooking loss%).
Update all your recipes
Replace all purchase prices in your recipes with actual cost prices including loss. Check if your menu price still makes sense with the new food cost.
✨ Pro tip
Measure trim loss on 3 consecutive deliveries from the same supplier within a 2-week window. Single measurements can be misleading due to product quality variations.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need to measure trim loss for every product?
For your main ingredients yes. With expensive products (meat, fish) a few percent difference makes a big difference. With cheap products (onion, parsley) you can use standard percentages.
How often should I update my loss percentages?
Always remeasure when switching suppliers. Otherwise at least 2x per year, because season and product quality affect the loss.
What if my trim loss is higher than expected?
First check your technique - maybe you can work more efficiently. If the loss is consistently high, consider pre-processed products or adjust your menu price.
Do I need to account for small losses like herbs?
With expensive herbs and spices yes. Saffron costs €30 per gram, every loss counts. With cheap herbs you can use a standard 5-10% loss.
How do I handle seasonal differences in loss?
Measure your loss in different seasons. Summer vegetables often have less loss than winter vegetables. Use averages or adjust your prices seasonally.
Should I factor in staff skill levels for trim calculations?
Absolutely. New cooks typically waste 15-20% more than experienced ones. Track losses by prep cook and adjust training accordingly, or use your least efficient cook's numbers as your baseline.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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