Avaliação do índice de sobras e resto ingestão no refeitório de um supermercado

Abstract

With the increase of the urban population and the contemporary lifestyle, the eating habits of Brazilians have been changing and registering an increase in the number of meals made outside the home. The food service is divided into commercial food or collective food, and the difference refers to the degree of autonomy of the individual in relation to the unit. Evaluating the indices of leftovers and other ingestion in the food service contributes to decrease the waste and optimize the quality of the services provided in the establishment. In view of this context, the goal was to evaluate the rest index generated in a UAN that provides meals in a supermarket. This is a quantitative, exploratory research carried out in a food and nutrition unit, located in a supermarket in the city of Natal, State of Rio Grande do Norte. To determine the percentage of leftovers and the index of rest intake, formulas were used, according to Abreu, Spinelli and Souza Pinto (2011). The results showed an average of 11,6% (± 3,2) and the average of residuals of 4.4% (± 0,72), classified as inadequate, according to the literature, generating a considerable volume of food discarded daily at UAN. The records presented in this paper may serve as a basis for the implementation of measures to reduce waste and optimize productivity in this unit.