INTRODUCTION:

Food systems are the largest consumers of finite natural resources on the planet, accounting for about 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Unsustainable food production is also responsible for deforestation, loss of biodiversity and soil quality, damage that goes beyond the planet's regenerative capacity. In addition, poor food choices are also responsible for a negative impact on our planet and at the same time on the health of those who practice a more unbalanced food pattern. There is an urgent need to intervene in this system, seeking to promote its transformation into a more sustainable and balanced system. In this context, it is critical to involve the various agents of the food system, where restaurants appear to be an important element.

OBJECTIVES:

To compile and analyze a checklist with the main sustainability criteria based on pre-existing lists of criteria and certificates in the field of sustainability, food production and consumption, for development of a evaluation referential to application in restaurants.

METHODOLOGY:

The criteria have been compiled for 13 sustainability certificate listings or sustainability criteria listings for the food service sector. A detailed analysis of all criteria, on their redundancy, specificity or repetition between different list criteria, was carried out and, in addition, all criteria that considered procedures of a mandatory nature through national or community legislation were eliminated.

RESULTS:

A final list was obtained with 160 sustainability criteria, divided into 9 domains: Food Production; Menu; Packaging; Water; Energy; Consumables; Facilities and Equipment; Transport; Employees, Communication, Social Responsibility.

CONCLUSIONS:

The checklist obtained with the main sustainability criteria for application in Portuguese or European restaurants intends to represent a tool to help them in the process of restructuring their model or in the process of building a new more sustainable concept, similar to projects that are beginning to appear in the market.

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