AN INTERVENTION TO TACKLE FOOD WASTE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AT THE CANTEEN

Background and Aim: Our purpose was to decrease food waste in the canteen of Nutrition and Food Technology Faculty of Shahid Beheshti medical University, since food waste affects the campus expenses and the environment.Methods: Food waste quantity was measured and recorded in two phases, 13 days each, and an intervention was made in the middle. The intervention included educational posters, pamphlets and reaching out to the students and staff by social media. A campaign with an It’s enough motto to emphasize the importance of food waste was launched.Results: The average avoidable food waste quantity in the first and second phase totaled 17.96 and 15.52 kg per day. Total food waste was reduced by 16.35%. The cost for food waste dropped by 28.43%. As reported by the students, low quality is the main cause of food waste.Conclusion: It is concluded that it is possible to lower food waste immensely by an educational intervention, decreasing the portion size and boosting the quality and variety of food.

کلیدواژه ها:

Food Waste ، Campus Canteen ، Iran