PINTO, Ana Helena    AVILA, Helena. The Challenges of Contract Catering and the Nutritionist as a Drive of Its Development. []. , 2, pp.22-32. ISSN 2183-5985.

Introduction: Contract catering is a market segment which currently faces a myriad of complex challenges. The present economic situation, the multiple changes in the food system and the urgent need for its sustainability, are among the factors that influence and have been influenced by contract catering. Obectives: The present study, from a global and systemic vision, aims to enumerate and characterize the specific challenges of contract catering, as an integral part of the complex process of human nourishment. It includes a reflection and the search for answers to the future of this sector and studies the role of the nutritionist and his profile as a key resource. Methodology: Bibliographic research was don e via databases and deposit banks of articles and theses, national and international: Pubmed, Scopus, Repositório de Acesso Aberto de Portugal, Revista da Sociedade Portuguesa de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação, Catálogo da Biblioteca da Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto, with the following keywords: restauração, colectiva, Nutricionista, desenvolvimento, contract catering, nutritionist, development and foodservice, between May and July 2014. And in all the editions of the Revista Nutrícias. The work proceeded with the consultation of electronic pages of key institutions in the sector, as the Associação Portuguesa dos Nutricionistas (APN), Food Service Europe (FSE), International Confederation of Dietetic Associations (ICDA), European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians (EFAD), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic (AND), The British Dietetic Association (TBDA), Center on Food Security and the Environment (CFSE), Syndicat National de la Restauration Collective (SNRC), Europedirect, Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE) and the legislation in force. This was followed by the reading of selected articles and of those mentioned in the bibliographic references, which were relevant to the theme. Results: 10 main challenges + 1 to contract catering, which must be overcome, are presented. The second part presents the Nutritionist, his profile and what is required of him nowadays, so he can meet the challenges, contributing for the development of contract catering. Conclusions: The Nutritionist is the professional that contemplates the knowledge and skills necessary and essential to be a major factor of development and future for contract catering.

: Development; Nutritionist; Contract Catering; Foodservice; Sustainability.

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