How to integrate nutritional recommendations and environmental policy targets at the meal level : a university canteen example
- Author
- Margot Cooreman-Algoed (UGent) , Sophie Huysveld (UGent) , Carl Lachat (UGent) and Jo Dewulf (UGent)
- Organization
- Abstract
- Nurturing the global population without exceeding the carrying capacity of the earth is a challenge. Linking nutritional quality and environmental objectives is of high importance in a sustainable food context. Meals are not usually evaluated and classified based on their contribution to health and, especially, to environmental sustainability. Therefore, we propose a methodology for the classification of meals based on environmental policy targets and nutritional recommendations. As a case study, we analyzed 100 hot meals served in a university canteen in Belgium. Every meal contained three meal components (protein, vegetable, and carbohydrate). A life cycle assessment and a nutritional assessment, based on the Weighted Nutrient Density Score, were performed to evaluate the environmental impact and the nutritional value, respectively. To classify the meals, we introduced three reference values for both the environmental impact and the nutritional value. This corresponded to four environmental and four nutritional classes which results in 16 classes in total. The environmental reference values were based on the 2020 and 2030 European Commission targets on greenhouse gas emission reduction. The nutritional reference values were based on food recommendations from national public health authorities. Meals with fish had the best overall score and meals with ruminant meat had the worst score. Vegetarian meals had the best environmental score and, similarly to ruminant meat meals, the worst nutritional score. Further studies are needed to test the classification methodology for other meals and food items. Future research may focus on further optimization of the combined environmental and nutritional assessment, especially for the classification of reference values. To conclude, we developed a novel nutritional and environmental classification for meals based on environmental policy targets and nutritional recommendations.
- Keywords
- Life cycle assessment, Nutritional assessment, Classification, Environmental policy, Nutritional recommendation, Out-of-home eating, LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT, SALMON SALMO-SALAR, CARBON FOOTPRINT, FOOD CHOICES, QUALITY, IMPACTS, DIET, SUSTAINABILITY, CONSUMPTION, VEGETARIAN
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-8645432
- MLA
- Cooreman-Algoed, Margot, et al. “How to Integrate Nutritional Recommendations and Environmental Policy Targets at the Meal Level : A University Canteen Example.” SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION, vol. 21, 2020, pp. 120–31, doi:10.1016/j.spc.2019.10.004.
- APA
- Cooreman-Algoed, M., Huysveld, S., Lachat, C., & Dewulf, J. (2020). How to integrate nutritional recommendations and environmental policy targets at the meal level : a university canteen example. SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION, 21, 120–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2019.10.004
- Chicago author-date
- Cooreman-Algoed, Margot, Sophie Huysveld, Carl Lachat, and Jo Dewulf. 2020. “How to Integrate Nutritional Recommendations and Environmental Policy Targets at the Meal Level : A University Canteen Example.” SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION 21: 120–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2019.10.004.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Cooreman-Algoed, Margot, Sophie Huysveld, Carl Lachat, and Jo Dewulf. 2020. “How to Integrate Nutritional Recommendations and Environmental Policy Targets at the Meal Level : A University Canteen Example.” SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION 21: 120–131. doi:10.1016/j.spc.2019.10.004.
- Vancouver
- 1.Cooreman-Algoed M, Huysveld S, Lachat C, Dewulf J. How to integrate nutritional recommendations and environmental policy targets at the meal level : a university canteen example. SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION. 2020;21:120–31.
- IEEE
- [1]M. Cooreman-Algoed, S. Huysveld, C. Lachat, and J. Dewulf, “How to integrate nutritional recommendations and environmental policy targets at the meal level : a university canteen example,” SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION, vol. 21, pp. 120–131, 2020.
@article{8645432, abstract = {{Nurturing the global population without exceeding the carrying capacity of the earth is a challenge. Linking nutritional quality and environmental objectives is of high importance in a sustainable food context. Meals are not usually evaluated and classified based on their contribution to health and, especially, to environmental sustainability. Therefore, we propose a methodology for the classification of meals based on environmental policy targets and nutritional recommendations. As a case study, we analyzed 100 hot meals served in a university canteen in Belgium. Every meal contained three meal components (protein, vegetable, and carbohydrate). A life cycle assessment and a nutritional assessment, based on the Weighted Nutrient Density Score, were performed to evaluate the environmental impact and the nutritional value, respectively. To classify the meals, we introduced three reference values for both the environmental impact and the nutritional value. This corresponded to four environmental and four nutritional classes which results in 16 classes in total. The environmental reference values were based on the 2020 and 2030 European Commission targets on greenhouse gas emission reduction. The nutritional reference values were based on food recommendations from national public health authorities. Meals with fish had the best overall score and meals with ruminant meat had the worst score. Vegetarian meals had the best environmental score and, similarly to ruminant meat meals, the worst nutritional score. Further studies are needed to test the classification methodology for other meals and food items. Future research may focus on further optimization of the combined environmental and nutritional assessment, especially for the classification of reference values. To conclude, we developed a novel nutritional and environmental classification for meals based on environmental policy targets and nutritional recommendations.}}, author = {{Cooreman-Algoed, Margot and Huysveld, Sophie and Lachat, Carl and Dewulf, Jo}}, issn = {{2352-5509}}, journal = {{SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION}}, keywords = {{Life cycle assessment,Nutritional assessment,Classification,Environmental policy,Nutritional recommendation,Out-of-home eating,LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT,SALMON SALMO-SALAR,CARBON FOOTPRINT,FOOD CHOICES,QUALITY,IMPACTS,DIET,SUSTAINABILITY,CONSUMPTION,VEGETARIAN}}, language = {{eng}}, pages = {{120--131}}, title = {{How to integrate nutritional recommendations and environmental policy targets at the meal level : a university canteen example}}, url = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2019.10.004}}, volume = {{21}}, year = {{2020}}, }
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