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Abstract / Description of output
Objective:
This study aims at comparing two Italian case studies in relation to school children’s plate waste and its implications, in terms of nutritional loss, economic cost, and carbon footprint.
Design:
Plate waste was collected through an aggregate selective weighting method for 39 days.
Setting:
Children from the first to the fifth grade from four primary schools, two in each case study (Parma and Lucca), were involved.
Results:
With respect to the served food, in Parma the plate waste percentage was lower than in Lucca (p<0.001). Fruit and side-dishes were highly wasted, mostly in Lucca (>50%). The energy loss of the lunch meals accounted for 26% (Parma) and 36% (Lucca). Among nutrients, dietary fibre, folate and vitamin C, calcium and potassium were lost at most (26-45%). Overall, after adjusting for plate waste data, most of the lunch menus fell below the national recommendations for energy (50%, Parma; 79%, Lucca) and nutrients, particularly for fat (85%, Parma; 89%, Lucca). Plate waste was responsible for 19% (Parma) and 28% (Lucca) of the carbon footprint associated to the food supplied by the catering service, with starchy food being the most important contributor (52%, Parma; 47%, Lucca). Overall, the average cost of plate waste was 1.8 €/kg (Parma) and 2.7 €/kg (Lucca), accounting respectively for 4% and 10% of the meal full price.
Conclusion:
A re-planning of the school meals service organisation and priorities is needed to decrease the inefficiency of the current system and reduce food waste and its negative consequences.
This study aims at comparing two Italian case studies in relation to school children’s plate waste and its implications, in terms of nutritional loss, economic cost, and carbon footprint.
Design:
Plate waste was collected through an aggregate selective weighting method for 39 days.
Setting:
Children from the first to the fifth grade from four primary schools, two in each case study (Parma and Lucca), were involved.
Results:
With respect to the served food, in Parma the plate waste percentage was lower than in Lucca (p<0.001). Fruit and side-dishes were highly wasted, mostly in Lucca (>50%). The energy loss of the lunch meals accounted for 26% (Parma) and 36% (Lucca). Among nutrients, dietary fibre, folate and vitamin C, calcium and potassium were lost at most (26-45%). Overall, after adjusting for plate waste data, most of the lunch menus fell below the national recommendations for energy (50%, Parma; 79%, Lucca) and nutrients, particularly for fat (85%, Parma; 89%, Lucca). Plate waste was responsible for 19% (Parma) and 28% (Lucca) of the carbon footprint associated to the food supplied by the catering service, with starchy food being the most important contributor (52%, Parma; 47%, Lucca). Overall, the average cost of plate waste was 1.8 €/kg (Parma) and 2.7 €/kg (Lucca), accounting respectively for 4% and 10% of the meal full price.
Conclusion:
A re-planning of the school meals service organisation and priorities is needed to decrease the inefficiency of the current system and reduce food waste and its negative consequences.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e143 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-13 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Public Health Nutrition |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 16 Feb 2024 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2024 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- plate waste
- school meal
- nutritional adequacy
- nutritional loss
- carbon footprint
- economic impact
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Dive into the research topics of 'Nutritional, environmental and economic implications of children plate waste at school: A comparison between two Italian case studies'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
Research output
- 2 Article
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Routes to sustainability in public food procurement: An investigation of different models in primary school catering
Tregear, A., Aničić, Z., Arfini, F., Biasini, B., Bituh, M., Bojović, R., Brečić, R., Brennan, M., Barić, I. C., Del Rio, D., Donati, M., Filipović, J., Giopp, F., Ilić, A., Lanza, G., Mattas, K., Quarrie, S., Rosi, A., Sayed, M., Scazzina, F., & 1 others , 1 Mar 2022, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 338, 130604.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Strengthening the sustainability of European food chains through quality and procurement policies
Mattas, K., Tsakiridou, E., Karelakis, C., Lazaridou, D., Gorton, M., Filipović, J., Hubbard, C., Saidi, M., Stojkovic, D., Tocco, B., Tregear, A. & Veneziani, M., Feb 2022, In: Trends in Food Science and Technology. 120, p. 248-253 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile