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Food Waste in Schools: A Pre-/Post-test Study Design Examining the Impact of a Food Service Training Intervention to Reduce Food Waste. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18126389. [PMID: 34204829 PMCID: PMC8296214 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to assess change in school-based food waste after training and implementing the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement (SLM) strategies with school food service workers. This non-controlled trial was implemented in a random sample of 15 elementary and middle schools in a Community Eligibility Program school district in the Northeast, the United States. Baseline and post-intervention food waste measurements were collected at two different time points in each school (n = 9258 total trays measured). Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and regression analyses were used to assess SLM strategies’ impact on changes in percent food waste. The mean number of strategies schools implemented consistently was 7.40 ± 6.97 SD, with a range of 0 to 28 consistent strategies. Independent t-tests revealed that at post-test, there was a significant (p < 0.001) percent reduction (7.0%) in total student food waste and for each food component: fruit (13.6%), vegetable (7.1%), and milk (4.3%). Overall, a training session on food waste and the SLM strategies with school-based food service workers reduced school food waste. However, the extent of the training and SLM strategies to reduce food waste varied on the basis of the consistency and type of strategies implemented.
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Liz Martins M, Rodrigues SSP, Cunha LM, Rocha A. Factors influencing food waste during lunch of fourth-grade school children. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 113:439-446. [PMID: 32599349 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2020.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to explore the factors that influence plate waste at lunches served in primary schools. Data was collected for all fourth-grade children attending 21 primary schools from the city of Porto (Portugal) (n = 463). Plate waste was evaluated by the weighing method and factors influencing plate waste were collected by observation of menu and canteen characteristics and through the application of a questionnaire to children aiming to evaluate factors related to preferences and dietary patterns. Logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of plate waste. It was observed that fish menus and composed dishes showed a higher tendency for increased plate waste. However, this effect was not observed when adjusted for other variables. Soups without pulses and blended soups were less likely to be discarded by children. The presence of the teacher during meals and the possibility for children to leave the canteen whenever they wish, protected both the main dish and the soup from being wasted. A higher number of children in the canteen was associated with increased soup waste. As expected, children more pleased with the sensory characteristics of the main dish and soup were less likely to waste food. Children who consumed high-saturated fat content mid-morning snacks were more likely to waste soup. The main factors associated with plate waste were related to the presence of teachers during the mealtime, school meal policies and the meals' sensory characteristics. Additionally, soup waste was determined by its composition, mid-morning snacks and the number of children in the canteen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Liz Martins
- Faculty of Food Sciences and Nutrition, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; University of Trás-Os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal; GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre, Campus de Vairão - Edifício de Ciências Agrárias (FCV2), Rua da Agrária, 747, 4485-646 Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Sara S P Rodrigues
- Faculty of Food Sciences and Nutrition, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; Epidemiology Research Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Porto (EPIUnit), Portugal.
| | - Luís M Cunha
- DGAOT, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre, Campus de Vairão - Edifício de Ciências Agrárias (FCV2), Rua da Agrária, 747, 4485-646 Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Ada Rocha
- Faculty of Food Sciences and Nutrition, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre, Campus de Vairão - Edifício de Ciências Agrárias (FCV2), Rua da Agrária, 747, 4485-646 Vairão, Portugal; LAQV-Requimte - University of Porto, 4051-401 Porto, Portugal.
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