Abstract

OLIVEIRA, Dinangela; LIZ MARTINS, Margarida; FONSECA, Lucinda  and  ROCHA, Ada. Food waste index as an indicator of menu adequacy and acceptability in a portuguese mental health hospital. Acta Port Nutr [online]. 2020, n.20, pp.14-18. ISSN 2183-5985.  https://doi.org/10.21011/apn.2020.2003.

Introduction: Food intake in the hospital environment plays a major role in the nutritional status and, consequently, in the health and well-being of the patient. Hospital malnutrition is highly prevalent in concurrent with a high rate of food waste and nutritional risk. Food waste is related to menu adequacy and meals acceptance in hospitalized patients and should be controlled considering its impacts in health. Objectives: To evaluate menu adequacy and acceptability in a long-term mental health hospital. Methodology: This observational study was conducted at a Portuguese long-stay mental health hospital. Lunch menus evaluation was performed by the relative frequency of some items based on the AQE-r method (Qualitative evaluation of menus - short version). Meals acceptability was evaluated using food waste index by the weighing method. Results: Although fruits were offered in the majority of days, the variety was limited. There was a low supply of vegetables and pulses and total absence in some days. The main dish was considered "acceptable" by men (average 21.7% ± 29.5% SD) and "inadequate" by women (35.3 ± 31.9%) based on the food waste index. Low temperature of carbohydrate source at the time of consumption was related to a higher food waste index of the main dish (R = -0.110; p = 0.045). It was also observed that patients who wasted more soup are more likely to present a higher waste of the main dish (R = 0.169, p = 0.002). Conclusions: Menus evaluated during the study period were not in accordance with the current dietary recommendations, namely regarding supply of vegetables, fruits, sources of carbohydrates, fish and cooking techniques. High values of food waste index were found among women. Carbohydrate source temperature seems to be related to menu acceptability. Food waste seems to be more related to the patient than to the menu since those who waste more soup also waste more of the main dish.

Keywords : Acceptability; Adequacy; Food waste; Foodservice; Hospital menu; Menu planning.

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