The Middleby Corporation, a global leader in the foodservice industry, is proud to announce that the WasteStation, a product of Middleby brand IMC Ltd. was named the recipient of the Best Sustainable Catering Equipment Innovation award on the opening day of the 2014 Gulfood Show, held in February in Dubai, UAE.

“We are very honored to accept this prestigious award, as it represents our goal of designing industry leading innovations,” said Najib Maalouf, Middleby Group Managing Director. “The WasteStation also received tremendous positive feedback last month at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago. Visitors saw the unit live and were excited about the impact it will have on their future food waste and disposal costs.”

Food waste is a major problem for any organization that produces it and is s notoriously difficult to process and dispose of safely and efficiently and is the most likely waste stream to contaminate. Food waste typically represents around 40% of total commercial catering waste, of which approximately 77% is liquid.

The IMC WasteStation grinds the food waste into fine particles, which are fed directly into the built-in dewatering system. Through centrifugal action, the WasteStation forces out the excess liquid from the macerated waste. This “grey water” is fed directly to drain, and the resulting solid fraction of the food waste is collected in small, easily managed, lidded bins, ready for onward processing, which produces savings in storage, transport, labor and energy.

Organized by Dubai World Trade Centre, the awards were judged by an international panel of independent industry experts and attracted more than 250 entries from 19 countries.  Innovation was a key highlight this year and was recognized in products, foodservice and catering equipment.

For the first time this year, Gulfood Awards winners’ products were displayed in the newly-launched Innovation Gallery in DWTC’s Sheikh Saeed Halls.

To learn more about the WasteStation, visit http://www.imco.co.uk/food-waste-mgt/wastestation. To learn more about The Middleby Corporation, go to www.middleby.com.