EVALUATION OF FOOD WASTE IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF LUNCH SERVED TO STUDENTS OF A PRIVATE SCHOOL IN SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

At food services, waste can be observed in the garbage can and the return of meal trays. Waste control assesses the appropriateness of the amount prepared in relation to the needs, distributed portion, and acceptance of the menu. In this context, the objective was to evaluate food waste of a Unit of Food and Nutrition in a private school in Sao Paulo by the percentage of remnants and leftovers. At lunch, the studied unit serves an average of 70 students between 1 and 10 years old. To evaluate the waste, the remains and leftovers of the food from the distribution counter were weighed. After calculations, we could assess the waste of the canteen. The average per capita of consumption was 207.9 grams (+/- 28.6). The leftover average was 28.6% (+/- 4.2) higher than the recommended values of the appropriate index. The average leftovers from 5 days were 21.1% (+/- 3.2) above the recommended value. We suggest the implementation of educational measures, stipulated targets of waste, and better organization of distribution in the preparations of menus to help increase consumption and produce less waste.