Reducing Food Waste in Institutional Settings: An Intervention Review of Strategies and Their Impact on Nutritional Outcomes of Health

Background: The institutional public food waste issue, calculated at one third of all food made, is exacerbated in institutions like schools and hospitals that are large generators of plate waste. Concurrently, these institutions have a overarching public health responsibility to provide healthy meals to vulnerable populations. Historically, nutrition promotion and waste minimization have been pursued independently of each other, but mounting evidence suggests the two aims are interdependent. Aim: The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize existing literature to analyze the intersection of public institution food waste reduction interventions and their impact on nutritional health outcomes. It tries to identify successful strategies, elucidate the mechanisms connecting reduction of waste and nutrition, and evaluate synergies and trade-offs. Methods: Systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for peer-reviewed literature from 2000-2023. Results: The review identifies four most critical intervention categories (measurement, menu/procurement, service/portioning, recycling) and describes their direct and indirect impacts on nutritional health. Evidence indicates that multi-faceted interventions, particularly stakeholder-driven and education-based ones, can create a virtuous cycle, both reducing waste and maximizing healthy food intake. Potential trade-offs, such as under-serving risk, were, however, registered. Conclusion: Integration of food waste reduction strategies into public institutional models is a strong and effective public health nutrition intervention. Policy interventions such as the integration of mandatory waste audits within procurement contracts can institutionalize this synergy, and public institutions can adequately discharge their twin function of resource management as well as health protection.