How practice contributes to trolley food waste. A qualitative study among staff involved in serving meals to hospital patients
Abstract
This study investigated the generation of trolley food waste at the ward level in a hospital in order to provide recommendations for how practice could be changed to reduce food waste. Three separate focus group discussions were held with four nurses, four dietitians and four service assistants engaged in food service. Furthermore, single qualitative interviews were conducted with a nurse, a dietitian and two service assistants. Observations of procedures around trolley food serving were carried out during lunch and supper for a total of 10 weekdays in two different wards. All unserved food items discarded as waste were weighed after each service. Analysis of interview and observation data revealed five key themes. The findings indicate that trolley food waste generation is a practice embedded within the limitations related to the procedures of meal ordering. This includes portion size choices and delivery, communication, tools for menu information, portioning and monitoring of food waste, as well as the use of unserved food. Considering positive changes to these can be a way forward to develop strategies to reduce trolley food waste at the ward level.
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Some units experienced the trolley meal system as a strategy to adapt the meal with the patient's desires and to minimize food waste.
“Some units experienced the trolley meal 662 system as a strategy to adapt the meal with the patient's desires [52] and to minimize food 663 waste.”
From ESPEN guideline on hospital nutrition (2021) · cites this paper as [52]
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“But units who adopt these meals on wheels distribution have to be aware of the nutritional risk due to possible smaller portions served [52,53].”
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- Authors
- Ofei, K. T., Holst, M., Rasmussen, H. H., & Mikkelsen, B. E.
- Affiliations
- Aalborg University (DK)
- Aalborg University Hospital (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Ofei, K.T.
- Venue
- Appetite
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-12
- Volume
- 83
- Pages
- 49-56
- ISSN
- 0195-6663 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2025493697
- Cited by
- 51
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 2.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Appetite (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- VBN Forskningsportal (Aalborg Universitet) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Health Information Management › Dietetics, Nutrition, and Education
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Healthcare and Environmental Waste Management
- Keywords
- hospital food service, food waste reduction, portion size, menu information, food waste monitoring, nurses, dietitians
- MeSH terms
- Communication, Dietetics, Food Preferences, Food Service, Hospital, Hospitals, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Menu Planning, Nurses, Surveys and Questionnaires, Patient Satisfaction, Observation, Qualitative Research, Meals, Portion Size
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