The foodCIRCUS project is making significant progress in reducing food waste in school canteens. With the first phases completed, we now have valuable insights into what children enjoy eating, which meals are often left uneaten, and how we can develop effective prevention strategies.
Over the past months, our partners have successfully conducted food waste monitoring in 50 schools and kindergartens across Italy, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. This work has provided us with a deeper understanding of school meal preferences and helped us identify key areas for improvement.
What Have We Learned So Far?
After completing the first monitoring phase in Poland, conducted by UPWr, we would like to share some of the insights gained:
📌 Popular Dishes: Chicken fillets and fish sticks were among the favorites, while fish balls and egg cutlets were less preferred. Pierogi emerged as a clear winner.
📌 Vegetable Preferences: Beets and carrots were eaten more often, while white and red cabbage were less popular.
📌 Surprising Soup Choices: Despite being a classic, tomato soup was not the top choice. Instead, broccoli cream soup, cauliflower soup, and sour rye soup with egg ranked among the favorites.
Strategies to Reduce Food Waste
During the General Meeting in Budapest, hosted by UVMB, we focused on developing strategies to minimize food waste in schools. Key discussions included:
·        How can collected data be evaluated and do we need more information on some topics?
·        What improvements can be made to meal distribution to reduce leftovers?
·        How can awareness raising and nudging activities be implemented in schools?
·        How can pilot actions on repurposing waste for insect feeding or generating lactic acid for bioplastics be implemented?
The insights gained from our research will guide us in implementing concrete actions to help schools improve meal planning and food management.
We will soon share more exciting findings from our monitoring—stay tuned for updates! 🚀