A third of the lunch at the nursing homes is not eaten.
This is shown by new figures from the Swedish Food Agency, which mapped food waste in nursing homes.
– The food that is thrown away should have been eaten. In nursing homes, many are frail and malnutrition is common, says Emelie Eriksson at the Swedish Food Agency’s Competence Center for meals in care, school and social care.
On average, it is 108 grams of food that ends up in the trash can at nursing homes – this corresponds to a third of the meal. Food waste is described as a great waste of resources but also a risk factor for malnutrition.
According to the Swedish Food Agency, food waste is not due to too much food being prepared, but to the elderly eating too little of the food served. The amount of food is carefully calculated for the residents’ nutritional needs, the authority claims.
– That is why it is serious that food waste is so great, says Emelie Eriksson at the Swedish Food Agency, in a press release.
Identify risk of malnutrition
60 of the country’s 290 municipalities have reported data on food waste in nursing homes. The measurements are described as a way to identify the risk of malnutrition.
– We believe that a broadened focus – from measuring with the aim of reducing food waste for the sake of the environment and the economy, to also measuring to follow up that the elderly are eating enough – can mean that more care operations see profits from food waste work, says Emelie Eriksson.
A pleasant meal environment and participation in the choice of food are factors that can benefit the meal experience, writes the Swedish Food Agency.
– Meals that are based on the individual’s wishes and needs, where there is flexibility around what the elderly want to eat and when, have been shown to be able to contribute to both happier diners, more food being eaten and thus reduced food waste, says Emelie Eriksson.