Generation of Food Waste and Plate Waste Reduction Strategies in School Food Services in Gyeonggi Province / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of the study were to assess wastes generated in school foodservice and to identify factors influencing the generation of plate waste. METHODS: A survey was administered from November 18–30 in 2015 to dietitians and nutrition teachers that were employed in schools located in Gyeonggi province. A questionnaire file and on-line survey site link were sent to the dietitians and nutrition teachers by e-mail. A total of 622 dietitians and nutrition teachers responded and 594 responses were used for data analysis after excluding 28 responses with significant missing data. RESULTS: Plate waste was the major part of food waste generated in school foodservice. Vegetable menus and soup/stews were discarded the most as plate waste. The dietitians and nutrition teachers perceived students' unbalanced diet and lack of appreciation of food as causes of the plate waste. Regarding waste management, they were concerned about environmental contamination by food waste and felt uncomfortable about discarding food. No plate waste day was the most frequently used plate waste reduction activity, followed by newsletters on plate waste reduction. Difficulty in getting teachers' support for dietary education during meal time was rated the greatest barrier to implementing the activities. To reduce plate waste, they perceived that students should understand the importance of environment conservation, teachers should supervise students' eating during meal time, students should be educated about proper portion, and foodservice staff should improve food quality. CONCLUSIONS: To improve students' intake and reduce plate waste in school foodservice, foodservice staff need to involve students in school foodservice and improve the palatability of meals, especially vegetable dishes. School nutrition teachers and dietitians should educate students about healthy eating and environment conservation and the school community needs to understand and support plate waste reduction and healthy eating in schools.

Dieticians' Perception of Current Status of No-plate-waste Day in School Lunch

Reducing plate-waste for school lunches is an important strategy to guarantee adequate nutrition intakes by students as well as to protect the environment. This study was conducted to determine dieticians' perception of no-plate-waste day. The subjects were dieticians at 203 schools in Seoul and Kyeonggi-do. Among them, 132 schools (78.6%) operated no-plate-waste day once a week, 6.9% once a month, 10.8% twice a week, whereas 17.2% did not operate at all. According to dieticians, plate-waste per student on no-plate-waste day (mean 49.1 g) was lower than that on an ordinary day (mean 79.2 g). The most popular method to advertise no-plate-waste day was to notify it on the menu board (52.4%), followed by notifying it on the dining hall and the school website. The most frequently used reward on no-plate-waste day was a gift snack (67.3%), followed by complimentary stickers, awards, and GPA. The most common side effect of no-plate-waste day was students' abandoning foods (45.2%), followed by rejecting food and simplified menu. The most frequent barrier was insufficient recognition of necessity (39.3%), followed by shortage of manpower or budget and students and teachers' resistance. The dieticians at 35 schools without no-plate-waste day answered that they did not operate it due to 'no need perceived' and 'no budget' (31.4% and 31.4%, respectively). Based on this study, government and society should promote the need to reduce plate-waste by students and teachers as well as school administrators.

Elementary School Students' Perception of Food Waste and Factors Affecting Plate Waste Rate of School Foodservice in the Gyeongnam Area

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary school students' perception of food waste as well as to identify factors affecting the plate waste rate of school foodservice in the Gyeongnam area. Questionnaires were distributed to 280 students from June 20 to July 5, 2011 and a total of 279 were analyzed. The results of this study were as follows. First, the main reason of plate waste was 'big portion size', which suggests that portion size should be adjusted. Second, the attitude for food waste reduction was 3.67 based on a 5-point Likert scale (1: strongly disagree, 5: strongly agree). Third, the average plate waste rate of school foodservice was 18.65%. Fourth, there were four factors affecting plate waste rate; balanced/unbalanced diet, satisfaction of school foodservice, need for nutrition education related to food waste, and attitude towards food waste reduction. The plate waste rates of the students who ate a balanced diet were significantly lower than those of the students who ate an unbalanced diet (P<0.001). The plate waste rates of the students who were satisfied with school foodservice were significantly lower than those of the students who were unsatisfied (P<0.001). The plate waste rates of the students who recognized the need for nutrition education were significantly lower that those of the students who did not recognize this (P<0.01). Finally, the students' attitudes towards food waste reduction were significantly negatively correlated with plate waste rate (P<0.01). In conclusion, in order to successfully reduce plate waste in school foodservice, nutrition education should be provided on proper portion size, balanced diet, and food waste. Further, introduction of partial self-service by school foodservice should be reviewed, and strategies for the improvement of school foodservice satisfaction should be applied.

Amounts served and consumed of school lunch differed by gender in Japanese elementary schools

School lunches serve to improve nutritional status and to promote the health of children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the portion sizes of school lunches served and consumed in Japanese elementary schools. In addition, gender difference in servings and consumption were also studied. A cross-sectional study was undertaken between October 2007 and February 2008 in schools located in Tokyo and Okayama, Japan. A total of 192 fifth-grade children attending four elementary schools participated in this study. Weighed plate waste methods and observation were used to collect dietary data for two non-consecutive days. The proportion of children who chose staple foods along with main dishes and/or side dishes for at least one day was higher in boys than in girls (respectively, for staple food: 42.1% vs. 9.3%, for main dish and/or side dish: 68.4% vs. 44.3%, P < 0.001). The ratio of initial amount served to amount offered was 0.88 +/- 0.11 for boys and 0.84 +/- 0.10 for girls (P < 0.05). The ratio of amount consumed to amount offered was 1.04 +/- 0.19 for boys and 0.88 +/- 0.12 for girls (P < 0.001). Weight was related to amount consumed both in boys (r = 0.222, P < 0.05) and in girls (r = 0.201, P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the nutritional standards of school lunch programs should take into account gender differences. Clearly, boys were more likely to consume more than the initial amounts served due to their higher propensity to take second helpings. Boys feel few reservations about taking second helpings to adjust their total intake. However, school lunch plans should take into consideration girls' reluctance to do so, by serving appropriate initial portion sizes.

Assessment of Nutrient Intakes of Lunch Meals for the Aged Customers at the Elderly Care Facilities Through Measuring Cooking Yield Factor and the Weighed Plate Waste

The purposes of this study were to investigate one portion size of menus served and to evaluate nutrient intake of lunch at three elderly care facility food services located in Seoul. A weighed plate method was employed to measure plate wastes and consumption of the menus served. Yield factors were calculated from cooking experiments based on standardized recipes, and were used to evaluate nutrient intake. One hundred elderly participated in this study for measuring plate waste and were asked to complete questionnaire. Nutrient analyses for the served and consumed meal were performed using CAN program. The yield factors of rice dishes after cooking are 2.4 regardless of rice dish types, 1.58 for thick soups, 0.60 to 0.70 for meat dishes, and 1.0 to 1.25 branched vegetable. Average consumption quantity of dishes were 235.97 g for rice, 248.53 g for soup, 72.83 g for meat dishes, 39.80 g for vegetables and 28.36 g for Kimchi. On average the food waste rate is 14.0%, indicating the second highest plate waste percentage of Kimchi (26.2%), and meat/fish dish (17.3%). The evaluation results of NAR (Nutrition Adequacy Ratio) showed that iron (0.12), calcium (0.64), riboflavin (0.80), and folic acid (0.97) were less than 1.0 in both male and female elderly groups, indicating significant differences of NAR among three facilities. Compared to the 1/3 Dietary Reference Intake (DRIs) for the elderly groups, nutrient intake analysis demonstrated that calcium (100%) and iron (100%), followed by riboflavin, vitamin A, and Vitamin B6 did not met of the 1/3 EAR (Estimated Average Requirement). For the nutritious meal management, a professional dietitian should be placed at the elderly care center to develop standardized recipes in consideration of yield factors and the elderly's health and nutrition status.

Nutrient Intake Determined by School Lunch Plate Waste and by self-reported Food Consumption of Selected High School Students in Seoul

The Purposes of this study were to assess high school students' nutrient consumption at the ordinary time and to analyze nutrient contents and nutrition consumption of lunch. The questionnaires for self-reported food consumption were distributed to 210 students enrolled in a boy's high school and a girl's high school located in Seoul area. A final response rate was 87.1%, excluding responses that had significant missing data. Data of self-reported food consumption and BMI(Body Mass Index) were analyzed with descriptive analysis and t-test using SPSS Win(ver. 12.0). To measure the serving size and the waste amount, data were collected for three meals in a three day period at each school. A weighed plate method was employed to measure plate wastes and consumption of the menus served. Nutrient analyses for the served and consumed menus were performed using CAN-PRO. The result of nutrient intake determined by self-reported food consumption demonstrated 74.2% of boys and 70.0% of the girls did not meet EAR(Estimated Average Requirement) for calcium. In addition, the data collection showed that 60.2% boys and 26.7% girls did not consume EAR for Vitamin B1. Nutrient analyses of the served and consumed menus at school lunch were compared with 1/3 of the Dietary Reference Intakes(DRIs) for this age group. The served menus did not meet 1/3 of the Recommended Intake(RI) for calcium, iron, and vitamin B2. In contrast, the menu provided to students exceeded almost five times(490%) more than the sodium needed for 1/3 of the Adequate Intake(AI). Considering the amount of the students' plate waste, intake of vitamin A and vitamin C were below 1/3 of the RI, and calcium, iron, and vitamin B2 intake were also reduced. Students' sodium consumption still exceeded 1/3 of the AI at 340.0%.

Effects of Nutrition Service Improvement Activities for Reducing Plate Waste of the Diabetic Mellitus Diet in a General Hospital / 대한지역사회영양학회지

Hospital malnutrition could be caused by not completing the food served in the hospital. This has been a big problem since it delays the recovery of the patient and extends the length of hospital stay. The purpose of the study was to reduce the plate waste for the DM diet by performing several nutrition service improvement activities. The study was performed in a general hospital with 900 beds. A questionnaire survey was taken by 39 DM patients to obtain their aspect of the hospital foodservice systems and the quality of the meals at the beginning of the study. The amounts of foods served in the hospital kitchen and returned were measured by weights. After the improvement activities, the measurement of the plate waste was performed again for comparison. The average percentage of plate waste for the DM diet was 23.2%. The survey showed no difference by sex, age or duration of admission in plate waste. However, this food wastage percentage showed differences between the patients having a chance to get information about the diet therapy (12.21%) and not having one(26.06%) (p < 0.05). Using a five-point Likert-type scale, the quality of food by its taste was 2.49 (1: very poor, 5: excellent), the temperature score was 3.56 (1: very poor, 5: excellent), and the amount of food served score was 2.95 (1: very poor, 5: excellent), and the preference score was 3.13 (1: very dislike, 5: very like). Nutritional care improving activities were performed by adjusting seasonings, developing new menus, and standardizing cooking methods in order to increase the satisfaction of meal quality. The dietitian's inpatients care protocol was adjusted to expand the nutritional counseling chance for the DM patients. After the improvement activities, the average plate waste was reduced to 14.6%, and the satisfaction of food taste and preference increased to 3.21 (p < 0.001), and 3.36 (p < 0.05) correspondingly. The result shows that, for therapeutic diet patients, food intake could be increased by improving the food service satisfaction by controlling the meal quality and clinical nutritional service activities.

Nutrition Management Examined by Plate Waste Measurement: A Comparison with Elementary Schools and Middle Schools in the Changwon Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to examine nutrition management conditions of lunch with the elementary schools and middle schools in the Changwon area. 292 students (5th and 6th graders) from three elementary schools and 330 students from three middle schools (boys, girls, and co-ed) participated in the aggregate selective plate waste measurement for 5 days. Planned menus, serving sizes and plate waste amount data were collected. Nutrient analyses for the planned, served and consumed menus at school lunches were performed by using CAN-PRO 3.0. Nutrient analyses of the planned, served and consumed menus were compared with nutrient management standard (former edition) for school lunch and 1/3 Korean Dietary Reference Intakes (KDRIs). Significant difference was found in the average consumption rate between the elementary schools (82.2%) and the middle schools (71.8%). Specifically, the consumption rates of steamed rice (p < 0.001), side dish 1 (p < 0.001), and Kimchi (p < 0.01) at the middle schools were significantly lower than those of the elementary schools. When the nutrient contents in the served menus were put into percentages to the nutrient contents in the planned menus, middle schools (92.3%) showed bigger serving loss than the elementary schools (95.4%). In the nutrient assessment comparied with nutrient management standard (former edition), middle school lunches showed comparatively less energy or less some nutrient contents against the standard than the elementary school lunches. Specifically, in case of boys in middle schools, Vitamin C was the only nutrient content that satisfied the standard in the planned menus, served menus and consumed menus. In the 1/3 KDRIs based assessment, middle schoolers were found not to be provided proper nutrients with school lunches. To improve nutrition management at middle school foodservices, dietitians should reinforce nutrient assessment for menu planning, and try to decrease serving loss and plate waste.

Food Waste Management Practices and Influencing Factors at Elementary School Food Services / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The study was designed to investigate food waste management practices and to identify factors affecting food waste generation at school food services. A total of 202 dietitians employed at elementary schools participated in the survey. The mean food waste weight per school was 77.54 kg, forty percent of the schools generated food waste of 50~100 kg every day and 53% generated plate waste less than 50 kg. Three quarters of the dietitians perceived plate waste as a major component of the food waste and vegetable dishes were a major source of the plate waste. Half of the dietitians used a food waste pick-up service for waste disposal, which was the most preferred waste disposal method. Approximately 90% of the dietitians conducted education on plate waste reduction for students but their perceptions on the effectiveness of the education was inconsistent. The contents were environmental issues (70.3%) and unbalanced food choice (56.7%). According to factor analysis based on performance score, solid waste management practices were grouped into 'information collecting and education', 'supervision of production process', 'cooperation with related groups', and 'control over production planning'. Practices appertaining to 'cooperation with related groups', 'information collecting and education' factor need to be improved. Dietitians should pay attention to 'recycle and reuse of left over' practice. Waste generation differed significantly by dietitians' ages and working experience. In order to reduce plate waste, more effective education materials and methods need to be developed and support from principals, teachers, and parents is necessary.

Adolescents' Nutrient Intake Determined by Plate Waste at School Food Services / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purposes of the study were to analyze nutrients of the menus served and to evaluate students' nutrient consumption at school food services. Three middle schools (boys, girls, and co-ed schools) were located in Seoul and Kyunggi Province. A weighed plate method was employed to measure plate wastes and consumption of the menus served. Data was collected for 3 consecutive days at each school. Nutrient analyses for the served and consumed menus were performed using CAN-PRO. On average the students consumed 67% of the menus they were served. By menu category, the students consumed more than 90% of the rice and one-dish foods they were served. Kimchis (54%) and soups/stews (55%) were the menu categories with the lowest consumption rates. The menus served at the boys and coed schools did not meet 1/3 of the recommended daily allowances (RDA) for calcium, iron, and vitamin B2. Due to the plate wastes, the actual consumption of the boys school students did not meet the 1/3 RDA for calories, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and niacin. The menus served at the girls school exceeded the 1/3 RDA for all nutrients, but the actual consumption did not meet the 1/3 RDA for calcium, iron, and vitamin B2. During the 3-day periods, the served and consumed menus provided 27% and 24% of energy from fat, which exceeded the recommended proportion of 20%. To improve nutrition management at school food services, dietitians should understand factors that influence students' consumption and implement nutrition education programs that emphasize balanced diets.

Assessment of the nutritional value of the plate waste generated in School Foodservices in Kyungbuk Area

The purpose of this study was to analyse the nutrient intake of the elementary students participating in the School lunch program and to compare the amount of the plate waste generated in two school foodservice operations that were located in an urban(school A) and a rural area(school B), respectively. A plate waste analysis was conducted for each menu item to separate and quantify food waste discarded in service phases of each operation. The SPSS 10.0 for window was used for data analysis. Non-parametric test (Mann-Whitney) was adopted to determine if significant differences existed in amounts of food waste generated in school A and school B. An average of 415 meals, including 43 adult meals, were served daily in school A, while an average of 177 meals, including 24 adult meals, were served daily in school B. Throughout the study the percentage of plate waste in vegetable dishes was high in both school. The food served to the students in school A met most of the RDA set by Korean Nutrition Association except vitamin A, while that served to the students in school B satisfied RDA in all aspects. Between 10-20% of the nutrients served were discarded as plate waste(school A : 11-27%; school B : 5-14%). Students in school B took significantly more niacin than students in school A did. It should be noted, though, that the RDA was still met in both schools except the vitamin A in case of school A, even after considering the plate waste. The research results suggested that school foodservice dieticians should evaluate the acceptability of menu items based on food waste per meal, and help increase the students' awareness of the environmental impact of food waste. Further, teachers, parents and dieticians should be encouraged to provide environmental education to the students that focused on the reduction of food waste.

Assessment of Factors Affecting Plate Waste and Its Effects in Normal & Soft Diets Provided from Hospital Foodservice / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purposes of this study were to : (a) analyze the portion size & plate waste of normal & soft diets provided by dietetic departments in hospital, (b) investigate the factors affecting plate waste, and (c) determine the nutritional & monetary value of plate waste. A questionnaire for food preference and sensory evaluation was developed and a survey was carried out for the 46 normal diet and 56 soft diet patients in Sanggye Paik hospital in Seoul. Serving size and plate waste were weighed by the electric scale, and CAN-Pro program was used to evaluate the nutrition value. The data were analyzed using the SAS package program for descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation. The average plate waste rate for normal diet and soft diet were 30.3% and 49.6%. More plate waste amount occurred on female patients' diet than male patients' diets regardless of the kind of diet. The plate waste percentage of male patients were higher than those of female on normal diet. On soft diet, patients who hospitalized in surgery or pediatrics department were higher than in other wards. Plate waste of normal diet and amount were correlated positively, but wastage and preference were correlated negatively Negative correlation was between taste and plate waste, and between temperature and plate waste, too. On the other hand, plate waste caused the deficiency of some nutrients such as Ca, Fe, Vit. B2 and a great monetary loss.

An Evaluation of the Nutritional Quality of Packaged Meal(Dosirak) Feeding of Adolescent Males in Kangnung / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was carried out to evaluate nutritional quality of the dosirak severed by 3 Dosirak manufacturing establishment in Kangnung. The subjects of this study came from 3 different male high schools in Kangnung. The portion amounts of Dosirak were weighed and the food intake was measured by substracting the leftover from the averaged portion amount. The leftover was measured by a modified aggregate selection plate waste measurement technique. The nutrient intakes were analyzed by a computer aided nutritional analysis program for professionals(CAN pro). The menu of the dosirak was too simple. The total amount of Dosirak was 714g and the percent of plate waste was 714g and the percent of plate waste was 7.2%. The male high school students were taking adequate energy, but the nutrients which did not meet 75% of the 1/3RDA(Recommended Dietary Allowances) were Ca, Fe, and vitamin B2.