Healthy Food Service Guidelines for Worksites and Institutions: A Scoping Review

Jane Dai, Reena Oza-Frank, Amy Lowry-Warnock, Bethany D. Williams, Meghan Murphy, Alla Hill and Jessi Silverman ()
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Jane Dai: Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Reena Oza-Frank: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
Amy Lowry-Warnock: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
Bethany D. Williams: Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC 20005, USA
Meghan Murphy: Chronic Disease and Health Equity Unit, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
Alla Hill: Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC 20005, USA
Jessi Silverman: Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC 20005, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 8, 1-51

Abstract: Healthy food service guidelines (HFSG) comprise food, nutrition, behavioral design, and other standards to guide the purchasing, preparation, and offering of foods and beverages in worksites and institutional food service. To date, there have been few attempts to synthesize evidence for HFSG effectiveness in non-K-12 or early childhood education sectors, particularly at worksites and institutional food services. We conducted a scoping review to achieve the following: (1) characterize the existing literature on the effectiveness of HFSG for improving the institution’s food environment, financial outcomes, and consumers’ diet quality and health, and (2) identify gaps in the literature. The initial search in PubMed and Web of Science retrieved 10,358 articles; after screening and snowball searching, 68 articles were included for analysis. Studies varied in terms of HFSG implementation settings, venues, and outcomes in both U.S. ( n = 34) and non-U.S. ( n = 34) contexts. The majority of HFSG interventions occurred in venues where food is sold (e.g., worksite cafeterias, vending machines). A diversity of HFSG terminology and measurement tools demonstrates the literature’s breadth. Literature gaps include quasi-experimental study designs, as well as interventions in settings that serve dependent populations (e.g., universities, elderly feeding programs, and prisons).

Keywords: food service guidelines; nutrition; health policy; evaluation; food systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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