Evaluation of an Alimentary Education Intervention on School Canteen Waste at a Primary School in Bari, Italy

Nicoletta Favuzzi, Paolo Trerotoli, Maria Grazia Forte, Nicola Bartolomeo, Gabriella Serio, Domenico Lagravinese and Francesco Vino
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Nicoletta Favuzzi: Operative Unit of Hygiene of Food and Nutrition, Department of Prevention, ASL Bari, 70122 Bari, Italy
Paolo Trerotoli: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
Maria Grazia Forte: Operative Unit of Hygiene of Food and Nutrition, Department of Prevention, ASL Bari, 70122 Bari, Italy
Nicola Bartolomeo: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
Gabriella Serio: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
Domenico Lagravinese: Operative Unit of Hygiene of Food and Nutrition, Department of Prevention, ASL Bari, 70122 Bari, Italy
Francesco Vino: Operative Unit of Hygiene of Food and Nutrition, Department of Prevention, ASL Bari, 70122 Bari, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: The “Love Food, Not Waste” project was conducted to train students on good food choices and evaluate food waste in school canteens. Teachers, parents and students were surveyed before and after training. Weights of both the served and wasted food were recorded for one week both before the educational intervention in February 2019 and after the educational intervention in March 2019, using the same menu. Students completed a food satisfaction questionnaire on the days the data were collected. For the first dish, the mean wastes per school were 1199 g before training and 1054 g after training. For the second dish, the mean wastes per school were 246 g before training and 220 g after training. For the side course, the means wastes per school were 663 g before training and 747 g after training. The results did not significantly differ among weeks or schools. Less food was wasted when boys judged the food’s general aspects like smell, taste and appearance as positive; more food was wasted when girls judged these factors as negative. Food waste monitoring is mandatory but does not always occur. Analyzing food waste relative to students’ food perceptions can help determine whether educational interventions can help reduce waste. Students’ satisfaction must also be considered.

Keywords: waste food; nutritional education; waste monitoring; food quality perception (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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