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.
Highlights
As the population grows worldwide, one of the most worrying paradoxes is the increased amount of food waste produced globally
In low-income countries, more than 40% of food losses occur during the post-harvest and processing phases because of the lack of infrastructure
More than 40% of food losses occur during retail and consumption
Summary
As the population grows worldwide, one of the most worrying paradoxes is the increased amount of food waste produced globally. In the USA, both food consumption and individuals’ weights have progressively increased, while the amount of food wasted is estimated to equal the amount of food consumed [1]. In low-income countries, more than 40% of food losses occur during the post-harvest and processing phases because of the lack of infrastructure. More than 40% of food losses occur during retail and consumption. The per capita food loss in Europe and North America is 280–300 kg/year from a production of 900 kg/year. In sub-Saharan Africa and South/Southeast Asia this loss is 120–170 kg/year from a production of 460 kg/year. Per capita food wasted by consumers in
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