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

Abstract

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.

How Are School Menus Evaluated in Different Countries? A Systematic Review

“…Its focus is on the pursuit of quality of life and environmental balance [ 36 ]. Besides, Ginani et al [ 4 ] reinforce the importance of using regional foods as a sustainable way of promoting health. Therefore, a greater significance of food is confirmed, which goes beyond the biological and establishes it as a social and cultural act.…”

“…Therefore, a greater significance of food is confirmed, which goes beyond the biological and establishes it as a social and cultural act. Food is then an identity marker [ 4 ]. However, none of the analyzed methods and instruments covered the cultural aspect, including regionality, and only 12.5% ( n = 2) observed the menu’s sustainability.…”

“…It imposes itself as the vehicle to ensure that school meals meet their proposed aims. The menu may offer foods that contribute to the students’ health, considering nutritional, sensory, cultural, and microbiological aspects [ 4 ]. Therefore, the menu also contributes to the formation of healthy eating habits and the preservation of the environment and of food culture, providing nutritional education [ 5 ].…”

Traditional Products and New Developments in the Restaurant Sector in East Africa. The Case Study of Nakuru County, Kenya

“…While the global trajectory of this phenomenon has been discussed, the motivations and dynamics behind the revival of traditional food in the Global South need further exploration by expanding the debate from South America (Ginani et al, 2020) and Asia (Montefrio et al, 2020;Ozturk and Akoglu, 2020) in order to explore further in depth the emerging trajectories developing in contemporary Africa.…”

Breakfast Characterization and Consumption by Low-Income Brazilians: Food Identity and Regional Food

“…In Brazil, considering its size and the diversity of available foods (mainly fruits and vegetables), in all the regions, the quality of meals eaten is diverse. The country should prioritize the use of regional foods (RF) with the incentive of local production, benefiting the population and the environment [5,6] since RF is characterized by foods typical of a region and therefore provides fundamental benefits to the environment and local culture [6][7][8]. In this context, income, prices, preferences, beliefs, cultural traditions, as well as geographical, environmental, social, and economic factors influence dietary consumption patterns [9].…”