scholarly journals Factors affecting fruit and vegetable school lunch waste in Wisconsin elementary schools participating in Farm to School programmes

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 2855-2863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea B Bontrager Yoder ◽  
Leah L Foecke ◽  
Dale A Schoeller

AbstractObjectiveTo examine characteristics potentially associated with school lunch fruit and vegetable waste, both overall and pre/post implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.DesignMulti-year (2010–2013) cross-sectional study using pre- and post-meal digital photographs of students’ school lunch trays to estimate fruit and vegetable availability and consumption. Fruit and vegetable items were categorized for factors suspected to impact waste: prior farm to school years, placement (main menu, salad bar), procurement (local, conventional), preparation (cooked, raw) and meal component (entrée, side, topping). Analyses to assess within-category differences in waste volume were performed using a Tobit model.SettingWisconsin elementary schools participating in farm to school programmes, USA.SubjectsChildren in third to fifth grade.ResultsMany within-factor differences were detected overall and/or across time. Cooked fruits were wasted less than raw, while cooked vegetables were wasted more than raw. Where identified, locally sourced items were wasted more than conventionally sourced (+0·1 cups, P<0·0001) and salad bar items more than main menu items (+0·01 cups, P<0·0001). Increasing prior farm to school years decreased waste (−0·02 cups, P<0·0001). Items previously tried were wasted at the same volume whether reported as liked or not. New school lunch meal pattern requirement implementation did not uniformly impact fruit and vegetable waste across all categories and there was no change in waste for seven of fifteen assessed categories.ConclusionsMany factors impact elementary students’ school lunch waste. These factors may be helpful for school food-service authorities to consider when planning school menus.

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. S106-S107
Author(s):  
Randi Wolf ◽  
Matthew Graziose ◽  
Heewon Lee Gray ◽  
Pamela Koch ◽  
Raynika Trent ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Carroll ◽  
Angela Wallace ◽  
Kira Jewell ◽  
Gerarda Darlington ◽  
David W.L. Ma ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Higher diet quality has been associated with greater amounts of food waste among adults in the United States. This study aims to build on previous work by examining the association between diet quality and food waste, as assessed using detailed waste audits, among a sample of Canadian families.Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from 85 Canadian families with young children. Parent and children diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), calculated from 3-day food records. Household food waste was measured using detailed waste audits conducted over multiple weeks and these data were used to calculate daily per capita food waste. Linear regression was used to explore the association between parent and child HEI-2015 scores and daily per capita total avoidable and unavoidable food waste, as well as daily per capita avoidable and unavoidable food waste in the following categories: 1) fruits and vegetables, 2) milk, cheese and eggs, 3) meat and fish, 4) breads and cereals, 5) fats and sugars.Results: Parent HEI-2015 scores ranged from 37 to 92 (out of 100) and 81% of parents’ diets scored in the “Needs Improvement (50-80)” category. Parent and child diet quality scores were significantly correlated (r=0.61; P<0.0001) and 82% of children’s diets scored in the “Needs Improvement” category. On average, households produced 107 grams of avoidable food waste and 52 grams of unavoidable food waste per person per day. Fruits and vegetables were the highest contributor for both avoidable and unavoidable food waste. Both parent and child HEI-2015 scores were not significantly associated with total daily per capita avoidable or unavoidable food waste. However, parent HEI-2015 scores were positively associated with daily per capita avoidable fruit and vegetable waste (β= 1.05; 95%CI: 0.11, 1.99; P= 0.03) and daily per capita unavoidable fruit and vegetable waste (β= 0.60; 95%CI: 0.03, 1.17; P= 0.04), after adjusting for household income.Conclusion: This is the first study to explore the association between diet quality and food waste using detailed waste audits. Future research should explore effective strategies towards improving diet quality while simultaneously reducing food waste, especially of fruits and vegetables.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Carroll ◽  
Angela Wallace ◽  
Kira Jewell ◽  
Gerarda Darlington ◽  
David W.L. Ma ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Higher diet quality has been associated with greater amounts of food waste among adults in the United States. This study aims to build on previous work by examining the association between diet quality and food waste, as assessed using detailed waste audits, among a sample of Canadian families.Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from 85 Canadian families with young children. Parent and children diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), calculated from 3-day food records. Household food waste was measured using detailed waste audits conducted over multiple weeks and these data were used to calculate daily per capita food waste. Linear regression was used to explore the association between parent and child HEI-2015 scores and daily per capita total avoidable and unavoidable food waste, as well as daily per capita avoidable and unavoidable food waste in the following categories: 1) fruits and vegetables, 2) milk, cheese and eggs, 3) meat and fish, 4) breads and cereals, 5) fats and sugars.Results: Parent HEI-2015 scores ranged from 37 to 92 (out of 100) and 81% of parents’ diets scored in the “Needs Improvement (51-80)” category. Parent and child diet quality scores were significantly correlated (r=0.61; P<0.0001) and 82% of children’s diets scored in the “Needs Improvement” category. On average, households produced 107 grams of avoidable food waste and 52 grams of unavoidable food waste per person per day. Fruits and vegetables were the highest contributor for both avoidable and unavoidable food waste. Both parent and child HEI-2015 scores were not significantly associated with total daily per capita avoidable or unavoidable food waste. However, parent HEI-2015 scores were positively associated with daily per capita avoidable fruit and vegetable waste (Unstandardized β= 1.05; 95%CI: 0.11, 1.99; P= 0.03) and daily per capita unavoidable fruit and vegetable waste (Unstandardized β= 0.60; 95%CI: 0.03, 1.17; P= 0.04), after adjusting for household income. Conclusion: This is the first study to explore the association between diet quality and food waste using detailed waste audits. Future research should explore effective strategies towards improving diet quality while simultaneously reducing food waste, especially of fruits and vegetables.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heba Althubaiti ◽  

Introduction: There is a lack in the awareness in the fruit and vegetable (F&V) recommendation among Saudi society. Although the known facts of the benefits of F&V on health, information on Saudi society following the advised recommendation whether by WHO or local is still unknown. Aim: This cross- sectional study aim to examine the perception of F&V intake among students and staff at Umm Al-Qura University and to assess if they follow these recommendations of F&V locally and internationally. Method: Students and staff from Umm Al-Qura University participated in this study (n= 98, age between 18- 55). All data were collected using short online survey via Online survey - Survey Monkey in 2019. Result: 55% students and staff were not aware about these recommendations whereas 45% were aware about WHO recommendation. The majority of students and staff 53% have less than two portions a day of F&V. Only 14% have between two to four portions a day. 32% do not eat any portion of F&V daily. 59%, 14%, 5% of students and staff who believe that they should have five, seven, more than seven portions a day for being healthy respectively. Maintaining health, reduce the risk for chronic disease and providing essential vitamins and minerals to the body were all reasons why students and staff believe that they should have F&V everyday by 71%. Busy lifestyle, F&V cost, lack of the awareness about the health benefits, dislike the taste, some F&V spoil easily were all factors affecting eating F&V daily. Conclusion: People need educational and nutritional campaigns to spread the awareness about the health benefits of F&V. Most importantly the ministry of health should support those campaigns to increase people awareness and build a healthy society with a good habit. Keywords: Fruit intake, veg intake, F&V recommendation, students, staff, Umm Al-Qura University


Author(s):  
Anne Lassen ◽  
Lene Christensen ◽  
Max Spooner ◽  
Ellen Trolle

Policy actions to improve the nutritional environment include the provision of official food service guidelines. This study aimed to examine compliance with food service guidelines for hot meals as well as self-evaluated focus on food waste reduction across settings, i.e., elementary schools, upper secondary schools and workplaces, and different canteen characteristics. The same five criteria for hot meals were applied for all settings with regard to serving of fruit and vegetables, fish, wholegrain product and high fat meat and dairy products. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted as a cross-sectional study among 680 Danish canteens. Canteens having a high degree of organic food procurement were more likely to comply with the five criteria for hot meals combined (OR 2.00 (Cl 1.13,3.53)). Also, the use of organic food together with having a meal policy was associated with reported focus on food waste reduction (OR 1.91 (CI 1.12,3.25) and 1.84 (Cl 1.31,2.59), respectively). Compliance with individual criteria varied across settings with elementary schools being more likely to comply with criteria on, e.g., maximum serving of non-wholegrain products, whereas workplaces were more likely to comply with criteria on, e.g., minimum fruit and vegetable content and serving of fish. In addition, specific characteristics, e.g., serving system, were found to predict compliance with some of the criteria. These findings highlight the need to address differences in canteen characteristics when planning implementation support for both guideline and food waste reduction initiatives.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Carroll ◽  
Angela Wallace ◽  
Kira Jewell ◽  
Gerarda Darlington ◽  
David W.L. Ma ◽  
...  

Abstract Background : Higher diet quality has been associated with greater amounts of food waste among adults in the United States. This study aims to build on previous work by examining the association between diet quality and food waste, as assessed using detailed waste audits, among a sample of Canadian families. Methods : This cross-sectional study used data from 85 Canadian families with young children. Parent and children diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), calculated from 3-day food records. Household food waste was measured using detailed waste audits conducted over multiple weeks and these data were used to calculate daily per capita food waste. Linear regression was used to explore the association between parent and child HEI-2015 scores and daily per capita total avoidable and unavoidable food waste, as well as daily per capita avoidable and unavoidable food waste in the following categories: 1) fruits and vegetables, 2) milk, cheese and eggs, 3) meat and fish, 4) breads and cereals, 5) fats and sugars. Results : Parent HEI-2015 scores ranged from 37 to 92 (out of 100) and 81% of parents’ diets scored in the “Needs Improvement (50-80)” category. Parent and child diet quality scores were significantly correlated (r=0.61; P< 0.0001) and 82% of children’s diets scored in the “Needs Improvement” category. On average, households produced 107 grams of avoidable food waste and 52 grams of unavoidable food waste per person per day. Fruits and vegetables were the highest contributor for both avoidable and unavoidable food waste. Both parent and child HEI-2015 scores were not significantly associated with total daily per capita avoidable or unavoidable food waste. However, parent HEI-2015 scores were positively associated with daily per capita avoidable fruit and vegetable waste (Unstandardized β= 1.05; 95%CI: 0.11, 1.99; P = 0.03) and daily per capita unavoidable fruit and vegetable waste (Unstandardized β= 0.60; 95%CI: 0.03, 1.17; P = 0.04), after adjusting for household income. Conclusion : This is the first study to explore the association between diet quality and food waste using detailed waste audits. Future research should explore effective strategies towards improving diet quality while simultaneously reducing food waste, especially of fruits and vegetables.


Author(s):  
Yadollah Ghafuri ◽  
Zahra Atafar ◽  
Gholamreza Jahed Khaniki

Foodborne diseases still occur and affect 30 % of people in the world annually. Existing data related to the status of food safety and health indicators of food services facilities in Qom province indicate that a low percentage of these centers have the necessary criteria in the principles of food safety. According to the factors affecting the promotion of food health and safety indicators, this study was conducted to identify and investigate the factors affecting the risk of food safety in food supply centers in Qom in 2018. In this cross-sectional study, the required data were obtained through validated questionnaires about food safety and environmental health of food services facilities (n=380). Also, the effectiveness of variables such as training on food safety principles through designing before and after study, educational certification, having trading licenses, ownership, urban health status and the age of operators, have been assessed by food safety factors based on relevant tests. The results showed that the training of food handlers in improving and upgrading food safety conditions has had a significant increase. (49 %, mean 5.44 %, SD 3.20 ±, p < 0.001) Also variables such as education level (p < 0.05) and educational certification (p < 0.001) have been effective in increasing food safety and health standards. In order to improve the level of food safety, reviewing the process of educational programs, strengthening educational equipment and media and inter-sectorial coordination to strengthen the role of education should be planned. The food holders, managers of the food establishment and local health experts should enhance the food safety practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 320-330
Author(s):  
Utako Sawada ◽  
Akihito Shimazu ◽  
Norito Kawakami ◽  
Yuki Miyamoto ◽  
Lisa Speigel ◽  
...  

Background: Good social climate and high work engagement are important factors affecting outcomes in healthcare settings. This study observed the effects of a program called Civility, Respect, and Engagement in the Workplace (CREW) on social climate and staff work engagement in a psychiatric ward of a Japanese hospital. Methods: The program comprised 18 sessions installed over six months, with each session lasting 30-min. Participation in the program was recommended to all staff members at the ward, including nurses, medical doctors, and others, but it was not mandatory. A serial cross-sectional study collected data at four time-points. Nurses (n = 17 to 22), medical doctors (n = 9 to 13), and others (n = 6 to 10) participated in each survey. The analysis of variance was used to evaluate the changes in the following dependent variables, the Essen climate evaluation schema (EssenCES), the CREW civility scale, and the Utrecht work engagement scale (UWES) over time. Result: We found no significant effects. The effect size (Cohen’s d) for EssenCES was 0.35 from baseline to post-installation for all staff members. Effect sizes for EssenCES for medical doctors and UWES for nurses were 0.79 and 0.56, respectively, from baseline to post-program. Conclusions: Differences in social climate and work engagement among Japanese healthcare workers between the baseline and post-installation of the CREW program were non-significant.


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