Shanks CB, et al. – A systematic review was conducted which aimed to describe methods used to measure food waste and respective results in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) across time. Findings revealed that food waste was commonly assessed in the NSLP, but the methods were diverse and reporting metrics were variable.

Methods

• A systematic review utilizing PubMed, Science Direct, Informaworld, and Institute of Scientific Information Web of Knowledge was directed utilizing the following search terms: waste, school lunch, plate waste, food waste, kitchen, half method, quarter method, weight, and photography.
• Studies published through June 2015 were incorporated.
• The systematic review followed favored reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses recommendations.

Results

• The final review included fifty three articles.
• Food waste methodologies incorporated in-person visual estimation (n=11), digital photography (n=11), direct weighing (n=23), and a combination of in-person visual estimation, digital photography, and/or direct weighing (n=8).
• A majority of studies utilized a pre–post intervention or cross-sectional design.
• According to the findings obtained, fruits and vegetables were the most researched dietary component on the lunch tray and yielded the greatest amount of waste across studies.