Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate aspects of sustainable nutrition in Public Educational Institutions Restaurants (PEIR) in a Brazilian state. Cross-sectional descriptive research was conducted in six PEIR. Purchased foodstuffs for a one-month period were investigated from the perspective of their origin (place of production), processing degree and nutritional profile. The presence of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in packaged foodstuffs was also evaluated. Regarding served meals, a four-week period was evaluated in each PEIR considering the Water Footprint (WF) and the nutrient composition of the lunch meals. Results showed that 31.6% of foodstuffs purchased in the period evaluated were from national origin. Analysis of the processing degree of food purchased showed 64.8% unprocessed or minimally processed foods. However, 60.8% of the foodstuffs purchased in a one-month period presented sodium excess, 46.9% had an excess of saturated fat and 40.1% contained an excess of free sugar. The presence of GMO was observed in 9.2% of packed foods. The meals showed a per capita WF average of 2165.8 liters, an energy supply of 834.6 kcal and 1,289.6 mg of sodium per meal served. Foodstuff purchase and menu planning are essential steps towards achieving sustainable meal production and the results showed that foodstuffs purchased in institutional restaurants during the evaluated period was not in line with the precepts of a healthy and sustainable diet. Studies that assess the impact of meal production on the different dimensions of sustainable nutrition are essential to better understand this complex production process.
Highlights
Food production in recent decades has gained important prominence as the main cause of global environmental changes, and these are clearly seen in the scenario of climate change, pollution and water scarcity, deforestation, threats to biodiversity as well as variations in soil and other complications
The substitution for a more sustainable consumption pattern converges with the prioritization of public health, sustainable agricultural practices, conscious consumption of natural resources, reduction of gases that cause the greenhouse effect and other essential practices [2,3,4]
Institutional foodservices are characterized as a technical-administrative space in which activities can cause negative environmental impacts, whether by generating losses from waste or not, by exploiting water and energy resources or by inefficient use of raw materials—when the service performance is characterized by unsustainable operations
Summary
Food production in recent decades has gained important prominence as the main cause of global environmental changes, and these are clearly seen in the scenario of climate change, pollution and water scarcity, deforestation, threats to biodiversity as well as variations in soil and other complications. Institutional foodservices are characterized as a technical-administrative space in which activities can cause negative environmental impacts, whether by generating losses from waste or not, by exploiting water and energy resources or by inefficient use of raw materials—when the service performance is characterized by unsustainable operations. This scenario differs in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations Agenda 2030, especially SDG #2—combating hunger and promoting sustainable agriculture, as well as SDG #12—ensuring patterns of sustainable production and consumption [5,6,7,8,9,10]
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