By-products and breaking down
Free extension
Record what a preparation leaves besides the main product (yolks, trimmings, cuts) so that it goes into stock and lowers the cost.
What it is for
Many preparations leave something more than their main product: when you make meringue, the yolks are left over; when you cut a sponge into sheets, the trimmings that later go into truffles; when you break down a cut of meat, several different pieces. If that isn’t recorded, it gets thrown away, it can’t be traced and its value isn’t deducted from what it costs to produce.
The Subproducts extension declares what each preparation leaves behind. When the production order is finished, each by-product goes into stock with its own lot and, if you want, its value makes the main product cheaper.
Before you start
- Switch on the extension: Extensions menu, Subproducts card, Enable for free. Only the account owner can switch on extensions. See Extensions.
- The by-product must exist as an ingredient (the yolks) or as a recipe (the trimmings purée). Give it a price if you want it to reduce the cost.
- Once it is on, the Subproducts tab appears in the recipe editor and on the ingredient sheet.
Two ways to declare a by-product
| If the by-product… | Where it is declared | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Comes from a specific ingredient | On the ingredient sheet, Subproducts tab: what is obtained and the Quantity obtained for each unit used. | Egg → yolk, 18 g per egg. |
| Arises when making the recipe | In the recipe, Subproducts menu: in “What is obtained?” choose A recipe or An ingredient and the Quantity obtained per batch. | Sponge trimmings, a stock. |
Whatever is declared on an ingredient appears in every recipe that contains it. In each one you decide whether to switch it on.
Switch it on in a recipe
Declare the by-product
Open the Eggs sheet, Subproducts tab, and declare Yolks at 18 g per egg.
Switch it on in the recipe
Open the Meringue recipe and click Subproducts. The yolks appear in the list (“Comes from Eggs”), with the Expected quantity calculated from what the recipe uses.
Decide whether it reduces the cost
Tick Credit the cost so that the value of the yolks makes the meringue cheaper. Below you see the Gross cost, the line “Less: value of the subproducts” and the Net cost.
| Product obtained | Comes from | Expected quantity | Price | Value | Credit the cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Yolks | Eggs | 540 g | €6.50/kg | €3.51 | ☑ |
| Gross cost | €9.80 |
| 2Less: value of the subproducts | −€3.51 |
| Net cost | €6.29 |
- 130 eggs × 18 g = 540 g of yolks per batch. The quantity scales with each production order.
- 2The value of the yolks is subtracted from the cost of the meringue. If it exceeded the cost, the net cost stays at 0 and Recipok warns you.
When you finish the production order
When you close a production order for a recipe with by-products, Subproducts obtained appears with the expected quantities. Adjust what actually came out (or leave 0 if nothing was used today), the expiry date and the location. Each by-product goes into stock with its own lot, linked to the production order for traceability.
Breaking down: recipes that only yield by-products
For breaking down and separating (a cut of meat divided into several parts), tick This recipe only produces subproducts (breaking-up) in the recipe. When the production order is finished, the recipe quantity is not requested, because it doesn’t exist as a product: only the by-products go into stock, each with its own lot.
The Deviation line compares the value of what was obtained with the cost of the preparation. It isn’t spread or corrected: it is a figure for you to review your prices.
Tips
- Start with what you throw away most: yolks, whites, trimmings. If nobody uses it, don’t declare it.
- Give by-products a realistic price (what it would cost you to buy them). An inflated price makes the main product look cheaper than it is. See Recipe costing.