Food wastage in a hospital
Keywords:
waste of food, food services, hospital food and nutrition servicesAbstract
Objective
The aim of the current study was to assess food wastage in the Hospital Emergency Section of the Clinical
Hospital of the School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of Sao Paulo and to propose a strategy to face
this problem.
Methods
Food wastage by patients and hospital staff was analyzed. The cost of all the food, supplied and wasted, was
estimated.
Results
The results were calculated based on descriptive analytical data collected during a 14d period. A total of 650
meals were analyzed, totaling 402kg of food, from which 123kg (31%) returned to the Division. From the
delivered meals, 71 (15%) were returned intact, that is, they had not been tried by the patient. Disregarding
the returned-intact meals, 353kg of food were offered and 77kg (22%) were wasted. The estimated cost of the
total food provision and wastage was US$25,000 and US$7,580.00 respectively.
Conclusion
The results reveal large food wastage, unacceptable by the operational rules of a nutrition service in a hospital.
Corrective measures, as administrative and operational changes, are necessary. Interdisciplinary actions may
be mandatory to reduce food wastage.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Carla Barbosa NONINO-BORGES, Estela Iraci RABITO, Karla da SILVA, Clarice Aparecida FERRAZ, Paula Garcia CHIARELLO, José Sebastião dos SANTOS, Júlio Sérgio MARCHINI
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