Patient Evaluation of Food Waste in Three Hospitals in Southern Italy.

Schiavone Schiavone,Pelullo Pelullo,Attena Attena

doi:10.3390/ijerph16224330

Schiavone Schiavone, Pelullo Pelullo + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224330

Copy DOI

Abstract

In recent years, food waste has received great attention and is now considered the cause of many negative effects, including health, economic, social and environmental issues. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 762 inpatients at three hospitals of Campania region in Italy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the amount of food waste occurring in these hospitals using a structured questionnaire and asking inpatients about the average percentage of food they had disposed of in the previous three days. The overall food wasted amounted to 41.6%. The main plates, first (pasta or rice), second plate (meat or fish), resulted in similar amounts of waste (38.5% and 39.7%, respectively). The side plate (vegetable or potatoes), however, generated the greatest amount of waste (55.0%); 40.7% of patients totally discarded this part of their meals. The type of food wastage among the three hospitals reflected similar patient behaviours, with the amount of food wasted never falling below 30%. Females tended to waste more food than males (59.1% vs. 38.2%; p = 0.000). Other variables were correlated with less food waste, such as having a good opinion of the food’s quality (RR = 1.91; 95% C.I. = 1.68–2.17) and satisfaction with the foodservice in general (RR = 1.86; 95% C.I. = 1.64–2.10). Poor quality, different eating habits and the feeling of satiety were the main reasons patients gave for food waste. Our study suggests that the most promising way to reduce food waste in hospitals is to improve the quality of meals and to establish an individual, simplified and flexible meal reservation process based on specific needs and preferences.

Highlights

Our study suggests that the most promising way to reduce food waste in hospitals is to improve the quality of meals and to establish an individual, simplified and flexible meal reservation process based on specific needs and preferences
Food waste is defined by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) as food appropriate for human consumption being discarded, whether after it is left to spoil or kept beyond its expiry date [1]
Factors contributing to food waste include insufficient shopping and meal planning, leading to too much food being purchased or prepared; misunderstandings about the meaning of ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ date labels leading to edible foods being thrown away; standardised portion sizes in community facilities; difficulty in anticipating the number of customers; inadequate storage or transport at all

Summary

Introduction

Food waste is defined by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) as food appropriate for human consumption being discarded, whether after it is left to spoil or kept beyond its expiry date [1]. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted around the globe each year, which amounts to 1/3 of all food produced for human consumption. Factors contributing to food waste include insufficient shopping and meal planning, leading to too much food being purchased or prepared; misunderstandings about the meaning of ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ date labels leading to edible foods being thrown away; standardised portion sizes in community facilities (e.g., schools, hospitals); difficulty in anticipating the number of customers; inadequate storage or transport at all

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion