This study aimed to assess the environmental impacts of waste generation and the WF of raw materials used to provide meals to workers in a public hospital in southern Brazil over the course of the four seasons. This is a descriptive case study with a quantitative approach. The food raw materials that composed meals during 2019 were grouped by type of input. The items included from each food group were those which represented at least 85% (Multiple Criteria ABC Analysis) of the total amount used in kilograms within the respective group, in each month. The generation of residues from fruits, vegetables, and meat was estimated, as well as the WF of the items. For the statistical analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used with a significance of 5%. Out of the 96 food inputs used, 49 items represented 86% of the total in kg, being the ones from which the environmental impacts were calculated. During the year, 435,411 meals were served. As for the number of diners, the highest frequency was observed in the winter and lowest in the summer. The annual waste percentage of the fruits acquired was 33.8%, being higher in the summer than in other seasons. Animal products were responsible for 64.2% of the WF, being higher in the winter. Assessing user frequencies, climatic conditions, and raw-material selection are important measures for the appropriate management of foodservices, as well as for assessing their environmental impacts.

Aiming to better understand the food waste and eating habits of diners, this study determined, by sex, food consumption and plate waste in the lunch meal served to employees at a public hospital in Natal, RN, Brazil, during one week. Men consumed 34% more than women did. The average consumption of the week by men and women was 469 g. Women wasted, on average, 9% of what they placed on their plates, or 39 g per day. Men wasted, on average, 5% of what they placed on their plates, discarding 34 grams of food per day. According to these results, women wasted 4% more than men did. The average PW% of the week was of 7.7% (37 g per capita per day). The food wasted during the 5 days of distribution would have been enough to serve lunch to a total of 122 diners. The data here provided are useful for several reasons, as this study may be used as reference to evaluate food waste more accurately in the food service, to elaborate educational material to create awareness among diners and food service professionals, and to estimate the financial impact of food waste on the budget. One of the highlights of this study is the provision of data on the consumption and plate waste (% and in grams) not only by the whole population studied, but discriminated considering women and men, which is not the most conventional way presented by studies.

Background Food contamination by Staphylococcus spp. enterotoxigenic strains is quite common and despite underreporting caused by the short duration of clinical symptoms and lack of medical care, staphylococcal food poisoning is one of the most common Foodborne Diseases (FBD) in the world. This study describes a systematic review protocol with meta-analysis on the prevalence and types of staphylococcal enterotoxins in food, and the profile of contaminated foods. Methods The research will be conducted through the selection of studies reporting the analysis of staphylococcal enterotoxins in food contaminated by Staphylococcus spp. Searches will happen on the following databases: Medline (OVID), GALE, Science Direct, CAB Direct (CABI), Google Scholar, in addition to manual search in the list of references of articles, directory of theses and dissertations, and countries’ health agencies. Reports will be imported into the application Rayyan. Two researchers will independently select studies and extract data, and a third reviewer will solve conflicting decisions. The primary outcome will be the identification of staphylococcal enterotoxins in food, and the secondary outcomes will include staphylococcal enterotoxin types and foods involved. To assess the risk of bias in the studies, the tool developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) will be used. For data synthesis, a meta-analysis will be performed. However, in case that is not possible, a narrative synthesis of the most relevant results will be carried out. Discussion This protocol will serve as the basis for a systematic review that aims to relate the results of existing studies on the staphylococcal enterotoxin prevalence and types in food, and the profile of the contaminated foods. The results will broaden the perception of food safety risks, highlight existing literature gaps, contribute to the study of the epidemiological profile and may guide the allocation of health resources for the development of preventive measures related. Systematic review registration PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021258223.

Meat has important nutritional characteristics for the diet, being a source of high biological value animal protein, and containing important vitamins for the organism. Ground beef is one of the most consumed meat products, which has an increased surface area, and also a high potential for inadequate storing conditions, which reinforces the relevance of innovative technologies for its preservation, such as the use of propolis – a highly diversified product with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, seen as a component capable of prolonging shelf life. This study evaluated the effects of the addition of Brazilian red propolis extract to ground beef as a natural antioxidant for 0, 7, 14 and 21 days of storage at a temperature of 7 ºC. The physicochemical parameters of water, protein, lipids and ash content remained stable until the 14th day of storage, while the microbiological ones presented peaks of contamination by Coliforms at 35 and 45 ºC in the same period, however, the absence of Salmonella sp/25g in the meat analyzed, made it suitable for human consumption, thus confirming the effectiveness of using red propolis extract in its conservation.