Menu Evaluation Research Articles

Development of a tool to assess the compliance of canteen menus with the Mediterranean Diet

Abstract The Mediterranean Diet (MD) is one of the healthiest food patterns associated with important health benefits. Acknowledging this, it’s important to understand how the dietary patterns of the consumers align with the MD. Over time, different authors have formulated several indexes for this purpose. However, current indexes lack standardization, and they only evaluate the quality of the diet of individuals to be used by health professionals and political decision-makers. Although there are indexes to assess the food options at the restaurants, none of them assess the menu compliance with the MD. Due to the importance of the food services in the food choices and dietary patterns of the consumers, this research developed an index to assess the alignment of the food availability with the MD key points. To address this gap, after reviewing the existing indexes in the literature, the authors created a tool that assesses the degree of compliance of menus with the MD - MedCIn. This index is divided into 4 dimensions, the first one assesses the availability (part A) and variety (part B) of the food/food groups. The second dimension assesses the nutritional quality of the menus based on the nutritional declaration, the third dimension assesses the food portions and culinary options, and the fourth dimension allows the verification of the previous information on site. Although the use of all dimensions allows for a more comprehensive menu evaluation, dimension one can be used as a first approach MD compliance. The index is meant to be applied in a 4-week cycle, though it can be adapted for each food service. Validation of this tool included construct validity, internal consistency and inter-rater reliability, all of which returned high values (alpha-Cronbach=0.88; Coheńs Kappa=0.92). The researchers consider this a reliable tool to easily assess compliance of menus with MD key points, allowing for the identification of issues to be addressed and improved

Menu Engineering: Evaluasi Produk Minuman (Kopi) di Kopiloka 3.0 Palembang

The coffee shop business in Indonesia is currently developing rapidly, especially in big cities such as Bandung, Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Bali, Palembang, and several other big cities, of course it is a big opportunity for entrepreneurs to open a business in this field, by various concepts or ideas that aim to attract customers from various circles, several cafes have even appeared in small towns in each region. South Sumatra is one of the 8 provinces producing the best coffee beans in Indonesia, with the dominant type of coffee being Robusta coffee. By seeing this opportunity, in the city of Palembang many coffee shops or what are usually called cafés are starting to appear, not only as a place to just drink a cup of coffee, but also as a place to relax, gather with friends, family, and even become a place to relax. to do a business, one of which is Kopiloka 3.0 Palembang. The function of a menu is to make it easier for visitors to choose what they want to order. A good menu can be seen from the level of sales and contribution in providing profits to the restaurant. Menu engineering is used to find out how much profit and actual food costs are, based on the basic cost and selling price of a product. In this menu evaluation, there are three indicators that will be discussed, namely popularity index, contribution margin, and menu classification. The method used in this research is a quantitative method with a descriptive approach, with data collection techniques in the form of observation, interviews, documentation studies and literature studies. The research results stated that the Popularity Index for the coffee menu was 88.64% for the HIGH category menu items and 11.34% for the LOW category menu items. The coffee menu items consist of 18 menus, for the HIGH category there are 14 menus and for the LOW category there are 4 menus; The contribution margin of the 18 coffee menu items served is that there are 9 menu items that fall into the HIGH category with a percentage of 58.17%. Meanwhile, 9 other menus fall into the LOW category with a percentage of 41.81%; Menu classification in the coffee menu, namely, there are 8 menu items included in the STAR category with a percentage of 55.24%, 6 menu items included in the PLOWHORSE category with a percentage of 33.4%, 3 menu items included in the DOG with a percentage of 8.41%, and 1 menu item which is included in the PUZZLE category with a percentage of 2.93%.

Nutritional status assessment using anthropometry and evaluation of school canteen menus in Tanzania

Abstract Background According to the FAO, an estimated 767.9 million people faced hungry in 2021. To improve food sovereignty, it is necessary to investigate eating habits and assess the actual level of malnutrition. The study took place in two private schools, one primary and one secondary school in the Rukwa region, one of the poorest in Tanzania, with a human development index of 0.467. Methods Height and weight were measured from March to June 2022 on a sample of 235 students (52% male, age 9.9 ± 2.6) from the primary school and 297 (61% male, age 16.9 ± 2.8) from the secondary school. The menus of the canteens were evaluated by weighing the ingredients cooked for one week and dividing the estimated nutrients for each student attending the canteen, then comparing them with the EFSA Dietary Reference Values. Results The BMI by age of children from 5 to 19 years was compared with the WHO reference data for growth. 72.7% of primary school students were in the 50th percentile and 27.7% in the 15th percentile, while 68.7% of secondary school students were in the 50th percentile and 25.4% in the 15th percentile. The menu evaluation showed that carbohydrates provide 79.6% of the diet's energy, while lipids only 10.58%. Vitamin intake was particularly low for B7 (3.05μg), B12 (0.155μg), A (149.21μg), D (0.04μg) and K (0.57μg). Among the minerals, the greatest deficiencies are Calcium (290mg), Magnesium (39.95mg) Iodine (18.63µg), Copper (0.20mg), Selenium (1.38µg) and Manganese (0.46mg). Conclusions The results show that children and adolescents are growing less than recommended and malnutrition affects the youngest. The meals in the two canteens show a shortage of several nutrients, easily attributable to the low consumption of fruit and animal products. Although the situation appears critical, it should be emphasised that the schools surveyed were private, while in public schools the catering service does not exist, often condemning students to a single evening meal. Key messages • In a rural context of Tanzania, children and adolescents are growing less than recommended and malnutrition affects the youngest. • A low intake of vitamins and minerals was detected in two school canteens in Tanzania.

Estimation of the availability of iron in the school meals of Municipal Centers for Early Childhood Education of a capital city in northeastern Brazil.

The final stage of Fe deficiency is Fe deficiency anaemia, with repercussions for human health, especially in children under 5 years of age. Studies conducted in Brazilian public daycare centres show high prevalence of anaemia. The present study aims to evaluate the availability of Fe in the meals of the Municipal Centers of Early Childhood Education in Maceió. The experimental design comprises selection of algorithms, menu evaluation, calculation of the estimates, comparison between the estimates obtained and the recommendations, and analysis of correlation between meal constituents, and of the concordance between the absorbable Fe estimates. Four algorithms were selected and a monthly menu consisting of 22 d. The correlation analysis showed a moderate positive correlation to animal tissue (AT) v. non-heme iron (r = 0·42; P = 0·04), and negative to AT v. Ca (r = -0·54; P = 0·09) and Ca v. phytates (r = -0·46, P = 0·03). Estimates of absorbable Fe ranged from 0·23 to 0·44 mg/d. The amount of Fe available, unlike the total amount of Fe offered, does not meet the nutritional recommendations on most school days. The Bland-Altman analysis indicated that the Monsen and Balinfty and Rickard et al. showed greater agreement. The results confirm the need to adopt strategies to increase the availability of Fe in school meals.

AVACARD – Menu evaluation index: Construction and validation

IntroductionFood Services are leading actors in the promotion of healthy eating, and menus are tools that provide access to an adequate food supply. Thus, proper menu planning offers healthy food and consecutively healthy food choices. While there is broad recognition of the importance of nutrition, diet, and menu planning for preventing NCDs and other comorbidities, the existing tools for menu analysis mostly lack a validation process. ObjectiveTo develop and validate (content and criteria) the AVACARD - Menu Evaluation Index to measure the instrument's validity, reliability, and reproducibility. MethodologyThe AVACARD was developed from a literature review with five dimensions, including the food laws proposed by Pedro Escudero and a Sustainability/Food Culture dimension. Content validation, internal consistency, reliability, and criteria were performed. The Delphi Technique was used for content validation, using a five-point Likert scale that verified the pertinence and understanding of the items. The instrument was applied to 32 menus practiced in Food Services in the Federal District/Brazil by two independent evaluators and compared to the results obtained by the expert evaluator to verify the reliability, internal consistency, and criterion validation. Internal consistency was analyzed using Cronbach's Alpha, and test-retest reliability between evaluators used the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Criterion validation was performed based on the correlation (Pearson) between the evaluation of the menus and theoretical definitions of the five dimensions that compose the instrument. ResultsThe final instrument (AVACARD) has 59 items and five dimensions (Quantity, Quality, Harmony, Adequacy, and Sustainability/Food Culture). The items obtained CVI> 0.80 for relevance and semantics for all dimensions in content validation. For the other stages of the validation process, AVACARD showed good reproducibility - reliability (ICC >0.90) and excellent internal consistency (α = 0.89), and criterion validation presented a strong correlation (r = 0.98). ConclusionThe analysis offered strong evidence of AVACARD's quality in evaluating menus, thus contributing to better planning of menus in Food Service and offering a healthier and more sustainable diet.

Indecisiveness, preference for flexibility, and a unique subjective state space

This paper unifies two seemingly different frameworks regarding uncertainty about tastes, namely preference for flexibility and indecisiveness. By identifying the set of lotteries as the domain of choice, and assuming preferences over alternatives and over menus as primitives, our main theorem axiomatizes a unique joint representation of expected multi-utility, as defined by Dubra et al. (2004), and ordinal expected utility, as defined by Dekel et al., (2001), wherein the set of expected utility functions in the former is equivalent to the subjective state space in the latter. This result indicates that preference for flexibility and indecisiveness both arise from an identical underlying uncertainty, albeit they may have different behavioral implications. Our key axiom is dominance consistency, which specifies that the addition of an alternative to a menu strictly improves the menu evaluation if and only if the alternative is undominated by the menu. Conversely, relaxing dominance consistency establishes a discrepancy between the subjective state spaces derived from the two frameworks, which can support “boundedly rational” behavioral implications, such as the illusion of control and projection bias.

Health promoting and risky behaviours of nurses, taking into account “coronary prone behaviour pattern”

Abstract Introduction “Coronary prone behaviour pattern” refers to the way of coping with environmental stressors, otherwise known as a type A behaviour pattern. Stress, unlimited working hours and the shift system are conducive to an “unhealthy life style” conducted by nurses. The purpose of the study was to evaluate health promoting and risky behaviours of nurses, taking into account the “coronary prone behaviour pattern.” Material and method 1080 nurses were subject to the analysis, among whom 1052 (97.4%) were women. They were from 23 to 65 years of age, with the average of 44.2 years. Most of them (n=484; 44%) had been working as nurses more than 20 years. The AUDIT-C test was used in the analysis, as well as the menu evaluation scale by Z. Bielińska, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Psychosocial Working Conditions Questionnaire, the COPE Inventory (an inventory developed to assess methods of coping with stress; Mini-COPE) and the A-Framingham scale by Chesney and Rosenman, in the Polish adaptation by Z. Juczyński. Results “Coronary prone behaviour pattern” (A Type behaviour pattern) was demonstrated by 333 (30.8%) nurses, B Type – by 272 (25.2%) nurses, while the other group demonstrated the Intermediate Type. The respondents with “coronary prone behaviour pattern” statistically significantly (p=0.003) demonstrated the risk of the problem with alcohol less often in comparison to the other respondents. Additionally, nurses featuring the above-mentioned behaviour pattern ate better (M=16.66; SD=6.66) in comparison to persons with B type behaviour patterns (M=15.49; SD=6.52). As far as the mental and physical well-being is concerned, resulting from stress perceived, persons with A type behaviour patterns had materially (p<0.001) better mental and physical well-being and on average better results in the scope of coping with stress, i.e. Active Coping, Search for Support, Acceptance, Turning to Religion, and Sense of Humour in comparison to nurses demonstrating other behaviour patterns. There were no significant differences between nurses demonstrating different behaviour patterns and the existence of diseases (obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes), physical activity and smoking. Conclusions A significant group of nurses demonstrated the “coronary prone behaviour pattern” which is unfavourable to health and predisposes to the development of cardiovascular diseases. The occurrence of “coronary prone behaviour pattern” was associated with health promoting behaviours of nurses being the subject of the analysis, i.e. better mental and physical well-being, better coping with stress and a lower risk of the problem with alcohol and proper nutrition. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Implementation of Healthy and Sustainable Dishes in a Multicultural University Cafeteria: A Pilot Study Using Sensory Science

Food choices are closely linked to individual cultural factors. In university students of different nationalities, finding a balance so that their choices are healthy and sustainable is a challenge that can be addressed by working on consumer perception. The aim of this study proposes to evaluate the acceptance of dishes prepared based on the Mediterranean diet, in the student’s cafeteria of a university with students from all over Latin America. An on-place evaluation panel was carried out in the main cafeteria of the university with 71 students from 12 Latin-American countries for three sustainable lunch menus. In each menu evaluation, a six-compartment tray containing the source of carbohydrates, animal protein, plant-based protein, and vegetables was provided. The attributes evaluated for each food group were: appearance, color, odor, flavor, and overall liking, using a 9-point hedonic scale. Moreover, the overall liking, flavor intensity, and the general quality of the menu were evaluated. For overall liking and flavor intensity, a 9-point scale was used, and for quality a 10-point scale. In general, the dishes received fair acceptance, and participants stated they liked them; however, animal protein had a higher acceptance over carbohydrates and vegetables. Most participants would like these foods to be served in place of fast food in the student cafeteria.

PENGATURAN MENU MAKAN DAN PEMBERIAN TABLET TAMBAH DARAH PADA IBU NIFAS DI PMB KABUPATEN SIMALUNGUN TAHUN 2019

Anemia in the postpartum period may be associated with an increased prevalence of shortness of breath, fatigue, palpitations and maternal infections, especially of the urinary tract. The effect of anemia during the puerperium is the occurrence of uterine subvolution which can cause post-partum hemorrhage, eases puerperal infection, decreases breastfeeding and it is easy to develop maternal infection. Measurement of hemoglobin levels, knowledge, provision of materials, training in eating menu settings, monitoring and evaluation. The audience in this devotion are postpartum mothers with postpartum >1 week from PMB R. Harianja, T. Hutapea, Hendrayatni, and Ika Juliana in the Simalungun Regency and surrounding areas, who are anemic and willing to be trained on food menu management totaling around 40 people. Out of 52 postpartum mothers whose hemoglobin levels were measured, 40 experienced anemia and attended training activities on dietary management and blood supplementation. Postpartum mothers who participated in the service activities consisted of 14 primiparous people, and 26 multiparous people. Measurement of Hb levels obtained initial measurement results of 9.2 gr% - 10.8 g%, with the category of mild anemia. Interviews with several postpartum mothers, some routinely drank tea 1-2 / day. The information is needed about how to consume ferrum, related to the culture of drinking tea and it is hoped that postpartum mothers who have attended training become agents for other postpartum mothers.

KIMEHS—Proposal of an Index for Qualitative Evaluation of Children’s Menus—A Pilot Study

Considering the importance of the food environments for health promotion, and the lack of simple, easy to use, low-cost measures of the quality of meals, the authors developed a qualitative menu index (KIMEHS—Kids’ Menu Healthy Score), tailored to children’s menu evaluation. Development of the tool was based on the Mediterranean food pattern. It includes 18 components, divided into seven main groups that reflect key aspects of menu quality, including protein source, side dishes, vegetables, dessert and beverages, and also allergens and nutritional information. The index was analysed for content and construct validity, as well as inter-rater reliability, and was applied to a sample of menus from restaurants in shopping centres in the Lisbon region. Possible index point ranges from −17 to 17, with a higher score indicating greater compliance with the recommendations. A value of 5.5 is obtained if all KIMEHS items are available, considering healthy and non-healthy options. The inter-rater reliability was assessed and values above 0.80 were obtained for Alpha Cronbach, as well as agreement % rate >75%. Agreement percentage is above 75% for all the components. Evaluated restaurants scored from −14 to 7, with an average KIMEHS of −6.15. Only four restaurants scored positive values, ranging from 0.25 to 7. KIMEHS was considered to be an adequate index to evaluate children’s menus, from the menu information displayed on restaurant websites and/or on restaurant displays or table menus. It is a simple, low-cost tool that may be used as a reference for health professionals as an objective measure to evaluate the food environment. Stakeholders could also be involved in their own assessment to help educate consumers about healthy food choices, strengthening the efforts to promote an adequate food pattern and health, contributing to the fight against obesity.

Identifier of Regional Food Presence (IRFP): A New Perspective to Evaluate Sustainable Menus

The menu offered in restaurants must meet different aspects of quality. Cultural elements are related to their acceptance and can contribute to the preservation of habits, sustainable agricultural systems, and the maintenance of biodiversity and sustainability, among other factors. In this context, this research proposes an instrument for classifying menus regarding the presence/absence of regional foods called the identifier of regional foods presence (IRFP) as a new perspective to evaluate sustainable menus. For this, lists of regional preparations and ingredients were prepared for each Brazilian region. Sequentially, we submitted the dishes/ingredients to a developed decision tree for the classification of foods into regional or national foods. The score, based on the presence/absence of regional foods, considered the components of a menu, with zero attributed to a lack of regional ingredients/dishes. For national dishes/ingredients, researchers attributed a minimum score equal to ten. One regional food gave a score of50 to the menu, and with more than one regional food, a daily menu scored 100. The final menu evaluation was based on the mean scores of the menus in each restaurant. Scores between 0–49.9 were considered inadequate; 50–74.9, adequate; and excellent between 75–100. The IRFP was applied to 111 menus with data collected from all the offered dishes. In total, the study evaluated data from 774 recipes from the menus of 37 restaurants located in the five Brazilian regions with a similar operating system. ANOVA was used to verify if there was a statistical difference between the mean score of each Brazilian region (p < 0.05). The average score obtained by the IRFP in menus from Brazilian community restaurants was 80.3 ± 30.9 (excellent), showing a significant difference between the Northeast and Southeast Regions, with a more significant presence of regional foods in the Northeast (87.7 ± 28.7). The use of the IRFP in menus was shown to be easy in its application, contributing to a stimulation of the use of regional items and, consequently, to the direct and indirect benefits generated for the food system and the local population.

Kesesuaian Kegiatan Dana Alokasi Khusus (DAK) Pariwisata dan Permasalahan Pariwisata di Indonesia

Today's, tourism industry has developed into an important industry and has a significant impact on national development efforts through state revenuesas well as  in the regions. Indonesia itself, has long been known as one of the world tourism destination. Various forms and types of tourism exist and grow in Indonesia. Therefore, since 2008, the government continues to develop the tourism sector as one of the priority sectors in national development, including the development program of 10 New Tourism Destinations beside Bali in 2015. Government commitment is also realized in the aspect of funding, through the allocation of APBN especially Transfer to Region in the DAK Physical on  Tourism sector. To be beneficial, the allocation is certainly expected to be right on target. For this reason, an analysis of the conformity between the allocation of DAK Physical on Tourism Sector and the real problems in the national tourism sector is needed. This study then tried to answer these needs by using the menu evaluation analysis method and the DAK Physicalon Tourism  allocation activities. From the results of the analysis since 2016, in general it can be said that the allocation of Physical DAK in Tourism has been aligned with the real problems in the national tourism sector, especially related to indicators of security and safety, health and hygiene, ICT readiness and tourism infrastructure services. The Physical DAK Allocation of Tourism from 2016-2018 still has not touched the indicator of the problem of environmental resilience which should be considered in the future.

Ocenjivanje menija bazirano na "rough MAIRCA" i "BW" metodama

The evaluation of dishes represents basic activity in the structuring of menu, which allows the optimal use of resources in order to fully satisfy the expectations of users and restaurant management. This study presents a new approach in menu evaluation using the MultiAttributive Ideal-Real Comparative Analysis (MAIRCA) method, modified by application of rough numbers in dealing with imprecisions in group decision making and the Best-Worst Method (BWM) for determining the interval values of weight coefficients which objectivize the inconsistencies in expert judgment. The model was successfully tested on the menu of a collective nutrition restaurant, where the evaluation of six existing breakfast dishes and a new dish that should replace the worst ranking dish was carried out. Validation of the model was done by comparing the results obtained by application of MABAC and VIKOR methods, which confirmed high reliability. The validated values were discussed in sensitivity analysis, through 27 scenarios with the change in value of weight coefficients, which showed a large correlation of the obtained ranks and confirmed credibility of the obtained values.

Effect and Interrelationship of Evaluation System in Employee’s Job Satisfaction at Deluxe Hotel Kitchen

This study investigated the effect and interrelationship of evaluation system in employee’s job satisfaction at deluxe hotel kitchen in the Seoul area. The questionnaires developed for this study were distributed to 400 chefs during June to August, 2012. A total of 364 questionnaires were used for analysis (91.0%) and the statistical analysis was completed using PASW (SPSS) 18. The status of operating menu evaluation and menu development was analyzed by dividing the questionnaires into three categories: ‘menu idea’, ‘menu evaluator’ and ‘menu evaluation system’. The ‘menu idea’ category showed the highest concern for ‘Is the selected idea differentiated from competitors’ menu?’ (3.10 Likert scale), the ‘menu evaluator’ category showed the highest concern for ‘Do the evaluator’s individual factors affect menu evaluation?’ (3.88±0.96), and the ‘menu evaluation system’ showed the highest concern for ‘Is the menu commercialized by the menu evaluation system?’ (3.32 Likert scale). Overall job satisfaction was studied into three categories: ‘human field’, ‘material field’ and ‘evaluation field’. Overall satisfaction about one’s job was 3.24 Likert scale. For satisfaction in each category, satisfaction for ‘human field’ was the highest with 3.30 Likert scale compared to ‘material field’ and ‘evaluation field’ with 2.76 Likert scale and 3.27 Likert scale, respectively. In conclusion, establishment of a unified evaluation system to improve employees job satisfaction related to menu development is needed.

학교급식 영양(교)사의 메뉴평가에 대한 인식과 시행 현황

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of a school foodservice menu evaluation and the perception of the school’s dietitian on menu evaluation. Questionnaires were distributed to 448 school dietitians with an official letter, and a total of 292 responses were used for analysis. More than 90% of the respondents stated that a menu evaluation for the school foodservice was necessary. The major barriers to menu evaluation were “excessive workload” and a “lack of know-how”, and the expected benefits were “increased satisfaction of customers” and “increased foodservice efficiency”. The menu evaluation for “student preferences”, “health improvement”, and “ease of quality management” categories were performed in more than 45% of schools. The proportion of subjects who answered that “customer satisfaction” and “increased efficiency of foodservice” were expected benefits of menu evaluation were significantly higher in the menu evaluation group (p＜0.05).

Menu evaluation of licensed child care centers participating in the Missouri child and adult care food program

Menu evaluation of licensed child care centers participating in the Missouri child and adult care food program

Evaluating the Profit Potentialm of Restaurant Wine Lists

The ever increasing consumer interest in wine has forced many restaurants to scrutinize their wine lists. Restaurant managers, however, still have difficulty in developing, pricing and evaluating wine lists. This paper reviews the process of wine list development and wine pricing. The author then proposes a modification of a popular menu evaluation tool as a way to evaluate the profitability of a restaurant wine list. Finally, recommendations are made for building the profit potential of the list.

Menu evaluation, nutrient intake of young children, and nutrition knowledge of menu planners in child care centers in Missouri

Menu evaluation, nutrient intake of young children, and nutrition knowledge of menu planners in child care centers in Missouri