Food Waste in K–12 Schools: An Opportunity to Create More Equitable and Sustainable Food Systems

Elnakib, Sara; Landry, Matthew J.; Farris, Alisha; Coombs, Casey

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2020.03.004

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…This Food Waste Challenge aims to improve agricultural, manufacturer, and retailer practices and consumer behaviors to reduce food waste. Moreover, it has identified schools as a priority sector to reduce food waste [ 7 , 8 ] due to their large food service operations focusing on schools that receive funding from USDA through the National School Lunch Program [ 9 ]. The National School Lunch Program provides free and reduced meals to over 3 million children in the U.S. per day [ 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food Waste in Schools: A Pre-/Post-test Study Design Examining the Impact of a Food Service Training Intervention to Reduce Food Waste

Elnakib

Quick

Mendez

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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This study aimed to assess change in school-based food waste after training and implementing the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement (SLM) strategies with school food service workers. This non-controlled trial was implemented in a random sample of 15 elementary and middle schools in a Community Eligibility Program school district in the Northeast, the United States. Baseline and post-intervention food waste measurements were collected at two different time points in each school (n = 9258 total trays measured). Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and regression analyses were used to assess SLM strategies’ impact on changes in percent food waste. The mean number of strategies schools implemented consistently was 7.40 ± 6.97 SD, with a range of 0 to 28 consistent strategies. Independent t-tests revealed that at post-test, there was a significant (p < 0.001) percent reduction (7.0%) in total student food waste and for each food component: fruit (13.6%), vegetable (7.1%), and milk (4.3%). Overall, a training session on food waste and the SLM strategies with school-based food service workers reduced school food waste. However, the extent of the training and SLM strategies to reduce food waste varied on the basis of the consistency and type of strategies implemented.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%