De brochure and the video originate from the website of Wageningen University and Research.
All over the world, ideally, food systems provide us with sufficient, nutritious and safe food; produced in a environmentally friendly way and against fair prices and wages. It is us, that shape these food systems. We’re part of them and rely on them for our daily bread and well-being. This innovation passport of Wageningen University & Research highlights some of our projects through which we research and develop an evidence base for underpinning future pathways, all part of the food system approach. People, public sector and private organisations have to work together to shape successful transitions in our food systems, facing many challenges. We invite you to join us in finding answers that lead to successful food system transitions to reach the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030.
De brochure and the video originate from the website of Wageningen University and Research.
Food consumption and production in the Netherlands is associated with several sustainability problems. The Monitor Progress on Sustainable Food Chains (MVVV) identified the main sustainability issues (‘hotspots’) for the domain ‘animal protein and fish’. Based on public data, it was determined to what extent progress has been made on these hotspots and their related objectives in the past 5 to 10 years.
The goal of the Food Industry Sustainability Progress Monitor (FISPM) is to provide insight into recent Dutch food sector progress regarding the most important sustainability issues (‘hotspots’). This report focuses on products in the ‘animal protein and fish’ domain. A framework of the most important hotspots was designed and developed. An inventory per hotspot was made regarding the availability of existing monitoring systems and potential other information sources to map out sustainability progress in each hotspot. As the final step, the available data were entered into the framework. The FISPM results indicate the areas in which the Dutch food chains has made sufficient or insufficient progress in recent years. This insight can provide input for the policy agenda and for consultation between authorities and the food sector.
Source: Baltussen, W., Simmons, R., Janssens, S. R. M., & Georgiev, E. (2020). Monitor Voortgang Verduurzaming Voedselketens : dierlijke eiwitten en vis. (Rapport / Wageningen Economic Research; No. 2020-01). Wageningen Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.18174/532544
Eiwitten zijn een essentiële voedingsbron voor mensen en dieren, nu en in de toekomst. De laatste decennia zijn we als mensen in toenemende mate dierlijke eiwitten gaan eten. Zoals vlees, vis, ei, melk en kaas. Op dit moment zijn dierlijke producten de belangrijkste eiwitbron. Terwijl er diverse andere eiwitrijke producten zijn te bedenken, maar die vaak nog minder bekend zijn.
Eiwitten zijn een essentiële voedingsbron voor mensen en dieren, nu en in de toekomst. De laatste decennia zijn we als mensen in toenemende mate dierlijke eiwitten gaan eten. Zoals vlees, vis, ei, melk en kaas. Op dit moment zijn dierlijke producten de belangrijkste eiwitbron. Terwijl er diverse andere eiwitrijke producten zijn te bedenken, maar die vaak nog minder bekend zijn.
De wereldbevolking groeit steeds verder door in de toekomst. Maar om al deze mensen van voldoende eiwitten te kunnen voorzien, zal ons dieet in bepaalde opzichten moeten veranderen. Zo zullen naast de bekende dierlijke eiwitbronnen ook alternatieve, en zelfs wat meer avontuurlijke, eiwitbronnen onderdeel van ons eetpatroon moeten worden. Plantaardige producten kunnen ook vol eiwitten zitten. Denk aan graanproducten, peulvruchten, noten en paddenstoelen. Denkbare andere eiwitproducten dan vlees kunnen zijn: insecten en eiwitbronnen uit zee zoals zeewier, algen, eendenkroos etc., of dierlijk eiwit uit circulaire systemen (Pyett et al., 2019). Echter, met nadruk op ‘kunnen’, want de duurzaamheid en economische haalbaarheid van deze producten moet nog verder worden bewezen.
Volgens wetenschappers van Wageningen Universiteit & Research passen beperkte aantallen dieren in een duurzaam voedselsysteem. Zoals koeien en varkens. Die kunnen grondstoffen (gras of voedselresten) effectief in vlees of melk omzetten. Die grondstoffen zoals gras kan de mens zelf niet eten. Daarentegen is het af te raden voer te verbouwen (zoals graan) voor de veeteelt als dit weer (te) veel ruimte op het land kost. Die ruimte had bij voorkeur ook voor akkerbouw kunnen worden benut in het voordeel van het telen van gewassen die geschikt zijn voor mensen om te eten (De Boer et al., 2018). Een duurzaam en gezond voedselpatroon voor de toekomst wijst het produceren en eten van dierlijke eiwitten niet af. Maar meer afwisseling tussen plantaardige en dierlijke eiwitten is gewenst. Ontwikkeling van nieuwe eiwitbronnen zal nodig zijn. De verandering in het eetpatroon door consumenten van dierlijke eiwitten naar meer alternatieve eiwitten, wordt de eiwittransitie genoemd.
Bron: Hoekstra, F. F. (2021, Jan). Consumentengedrag in relatie tot eiwittransitie. Wageningen University & Research. https://edepot.wur.nl/542283
The association between the residential fast food environment and diet has gained growing attention. However, why the food environment affects food consumption is under-examined. This study aimed to investigate neighbourhood social norms with respect to fast food consumption as a potential mediating pathway between residential fast food outlet exposure and residents’ fast food consumption.
Background: The association between the residential fast food environment and diet has gained growing attention. However, why the food environment affects food consumption is under-examined. This study aimed to investigate neighbourhood social norms with respect to fast food consumption as a potential mediating pathway between residential fast food outlet exposure and residents’ fast food consumption.
Methods: A correlational study was conducted in which a nationwide sample of 1038 respondents living across The Netherlands completed a survey. Respondents reported their fast food consumption (amount/week) as well as perceived descriptive and injunctive norms regarding fast food consumption in their neighbourhood. Fast food outlet exposure was measured by the average count of fast food outlets within a 400 m walking distance buffer around the zip-codes of the respondents, using a retail outlet database. Regression models were used to assess associations between residential fast food outlet exposure, fast food consumption, and social norm perceptions, and a bootstrapping procedure was used to test the indirect -mediation- effect. Separate analyses were performed for descriptive norms and injunctive norms.
Results: There was no overall or direct association between residential fast food outlet exposure and residents’ fast food consumption. However, fast food outlet exposure was positively associated with neighbourhood social norms (descriptive and injunctive) regarding fast food consumption, which in turn were positively associated with the odds of consuming fast food. Moreover, results of the bootstrapped analysis provided evidence of indirect effects of fast food outlet exposure on fast food consumption, via descriptive norms and injunctive norms.
Conclusions: In neighbourhoods with more fast food outlets, residents were more likely to perceive fast food consumption in the neighbourhood as more common and appropriate. In turn, stronger neighbourhood social norms were associated with higher fast food consumption. Acknowledging the correlational design, this study is the first that implies that neighbourhood social norms may be a mediating pathway in the relation between the residential fast food environment and fast food consumption. Future research may examine the role of neighbourhood social norms in other contexts and explore how the changing food environment may shift our consumption norms.
Source: Van Rongen, S., Poelman, M. P., Thornton, L., Abbott, G., Lu, M., Kamphuis, C. B. M., Verkooijen, K., & De Vet, E. (2020). Neighbourhood fast food exposure and consumption: the mediating role of neighbourhood social norms. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 17(1), [61]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-020-00969-w
Supermarkets are a key point of purchase for groceries and can therefore have a considerable influence on eating behaviours. Evidence suggests that descriptive social norm nudges in shopping trolleys can be effective in stimulating vegetable purchases in supermarkets.
Background: Supermarkets are a key point of purchase for groceries and can therefore have a considerable influence on eating behaviours. Evidence suggests that descriptive social norm nudges in shopping trolleys can be effective in stimulating vegetable purchases in supermarkets.
Objective: We investigated the effect of a combination of two nudging strategies in shopping trolleys – a social norm about vegetable purchases and a designated place to put vegetables – on the amount of vegetables purchased in a supermarket in a deprived urban area in the Netherlands.
Design: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with two conditions: 1) intervention days on which the shopping trolleys in the supermarket had a green nudge inlay indicating a place for vegetables and a social norm message and 2) control days on which the regular shopping trolleys (no inlay or social norm) were used in the supermarket. During both the intervention and control days, vegetable purchases were measured by means of the cash receipts collected from customers at the checkouts. In addition, individual and purchase characteristics were assessed by means of short surveys.
Results: In total, 244 customers participated in the study. Ordinal logistic regression analyses showed that customers on the intervention days (n = 123) were in a higher tertile for grams of vegetables purchased compared to the customers on the control days (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.03–2.69, p = 0.03), especially those who bought groceries for less than three days (OR: 3.24, 95% CI: 1.43–7.35, p = 0.003). Sensitivity analyses also showed that intervention customers who noticed the green inlay were even more likely to purchase more vegetables (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.06–3.25, p = 0.02).
Conclusions: This quasi-experimental study showed that a nudge inlay in shopping trolleys communicating a social norm on vegetable purchases and indicating a distinct place to put vegetables in the trolley increased vegetable purchases among supermarket customers.
Source: Huitink, M., Poelman, M. P., van den Eynde, E., Seidell, J. C., & Dijkstra, S. C. (2020). Social norm nudges in shopping trolleys to promote vegetable purchases: A quasi-experimental study in a supermarket in a deprived urban area in the Netherlands. Appetite, 151, [104655]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.104655
With the use of virtual reality, this study investigates the potential for popularity cues to stimulate consumers to choose healthier products (versus regular products) within product categories in a supermarket context. Popularity may increase perceived product quality and perceived certainty about that quality.
With the use of virtual reality, this study investigates the potential for popularity cues to stimulate consumers to choose healthier products (versus regular products) within product categories in a supermarket context. Popularity may increase perceived product quality and perceived certainty about that quality. Healthier alternatives (i.e., light products) within a category often have a taste disadvantage compared to regular counterparts as a result of their trimmed down nutrient profiles (low in fat, sugar or salt). Because consumers are more uncertain about the taste of these light products, a popularity cue may have a larger effect on product choice for these options than on the choice for regular products. This hypothesis is tested in an experiment using virtual reality to realistically display a supermarket context. In the main experiment, a sample of 300 consumers was asked to shop for specific groceries, using existing brands and products. The results demonstrate that consumers are more likely to choose light products when these are combined with a popularity cue. In contrast, the popularity cue did not affect choice for the regular alternatives. These results have important implications for research, and for public-policy makers and food retailers that aim to stimulate healthful consumption.
Source: Goedegebure, R. P. G., van Herpen, E., & van Trijp, H. C. M. (2020). Using product popularity to stimulate choice for light products in supermarkets: An examination in virtual reality. Food Quality and Preference, 79, [103786]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2019.103786
Many people implicitly (automatically) believe that unhealthy foods are tastier than healthy foods, even when they explicitly (deliberately) report that they don't. It is unclear whether this ‘unhealthy = tasty intuition’ is already present in childhood. Children from families with a lower socioeconomic position (SEP) consume poorer diets than children from families with a higher SEP. Paradoxically, populations with a lower SEP are underrepresented in research and least reached by lifestyle interventions. This study explored implicit and explicit associations between healthiness, tastiness and liking of foods in primary school-aged children and parents with a lower SEP.
Many people implicitly (automatically) believe that unhealthy foods are tastier than healthy foods, even when they explicitly (deliberately) report that they don't. It is unclear whether this ‘unhealthy = tasty intuition’ is already present in childhood. Children from families with a lower socioeconomic position (SEP) consume poorer diets than children from families with a higher SEP. Paradoxically, populations with a lower SEP are underrepresented in research and least reached by lifestyle interventions. This study explored implicit and explicit associations between healthiness, tastiness and liking of foods in primary school-aged children and parents with a lower SEP. These associations and an estimate of dietary intake were assessed with implicit association tests and paper-and-pencil questionnaires, developed and adapted specifically for this target group. Participants were recruited at Dutch food banks. Results of 37 parent-child dyads indicated that children and parents implicitly associated healthy foods and tastiness more strongly with each other than healthy foods and not tasty (D = −0.19, p =.03 and D = −0.46, p <.001, respectively). Explicitly, parents showed similar results, while children rated pictures of unhealthy foods as tastier than pictures of healthy foods. Following the discrepancy between our hypotheses, results, and more unhealthy eating habits that often prevail in families with a lower SEP, potential explanations are discussed. We address the possibility that an internalised social norm was exposed, rather than an intrinsic belief. We propose that this research calls for in-depth qualitative research on food-related preferences and norms in the everyday life of low SEP families.
Source: van der Heijden, A., te Molder, H., de Graaf, C., & Jager, G. (2020). Healthy is (not) tasty? Implicit and explicit associations between food healthiness and tastiness in primary school-aged children and parents with a lower socioeconomic position. Food Quality and Preference, 84, [103939]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.103939
De Schijf van Vijf is hét advies van de overheid voor gezond en duurzaam eten in Nederland. Maar de overheid wil het voedselsysteem verder verduurzamen en stuurt daarom aan op een eiwittransitie: minder eiwit eten, waarvan een groter deel plantaardig eiwit. Dit kan gevolgen hebben voor de volksgezondheid, met name bij kwetsbare groepen.
Een van de bekendste adviezen om gezonder en duurzamer te eten is om meer plantaardige en minder dierlijke producten te eten. Deze richtlijn is ook meegenomen bij de ontwikkeling van de Schijf van Vijf. De overheid zet - naast informatie via de Schijf van Vijf - ook in op een eiwittransitie om mensen nog duurzamer te laten eten. Een eiwittransitie is echter iets anders dan een voedseltransitie. In dit artikel wordt ingegaan op de verschillen tussen een eiwitten een voedseltransitie en op mogelijke gezondheidsgrenzen waar we met een eiwittransitie tegen aan kunnen lopen.
Bron: Peters, S., Gerritsen, J., Valkenburg, J., Singh-Povel, C., & Huppertz, T. (2020). Eiwittransitie in perspectief: Duurzaam en gezond eten. VoedingsMagazine, 33(1), 19-23. https://edepot.wur.nl/523281
Since there is a shift from eating lunch at home to eating lunch at primary schools in the Netherlands, providing a school lunch may be an important opportunity to improve the diet quality of Dutch children. Therefore, the aim of this Healthy School Lunch project is to encourage healthy eating behavior of children at primary schools by offering a healthy school lunch, based on the guidelines for a healthy diet.
Since there is a shift from eating lunch at home to eating lunch at primary schools in the Netherlands, providing a school lunch may be an important opportunity to improve the diet quality of Dutch children. Therefore, the aim of this Healthy School Lunch project is to encourage healthy eating behavior of children at primary schools by offering a healthy school lunch, based on the guidelines for a healthy diet.
In this study, two research questions will be addressed.
Methods: In the Healthy School Lunch project children in grades 5-8 (aged 8-12 years) of three primary schools in the Netherlands will receive a healthy school lunch for a 6-month period. To answer research question 1, lunch consumption data will be collected at baseline and again at 3- A nd 6-months. This will be measured with lunch photos and questionnaires among children. To answer the second research question, a quasi-experimental, pre-test post-test intervention-comparison group design (3 intervention schools and 3 comparison schools) will be carried out. Potential compensation effects will be measured with a single brief questionnaire among parents at the three intervention and three comparison schools at month 6 of the lunch period. The school lunch will also be evaluated by parents (discussion groups) and teachers and support staff (brief questionnaires).
Discussion: Results of this study will provide valuable information to influence future school lunch interventions and policies.
Source: Kleef et al. 2020. Improving dietary intake during lunch through the provision of a healthy school lunch at Dutch primary schools: design of a pretest-posttest effectiveness study. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08807-1
The government encourages primary schools to help children live healthier. A healthy school lunch and more physical exercise during school time can help in this regard. Research shows that there is support for this among parents, children, and schools. It is also feasible as long as these parties are involved in the organisation.
The government encourages primary schools to help children live healthier. A healthy school lunch and more physical exercise during school time can help in this regard. Research shows that there is support for this among parents, children, and schools. It is also feasible as long as these parties are involved in the organisation.
Parents are willing to help pay for the costs (€1.75 per child per day), but that will not cover all the costs (€2.40 per child per day for the selfmade lunch and €4.50 for the school lunch with exercise activities). Support is therefore needed to provide financial support for less wealthy families in this regard.
For a self-prepared lunch, children themselves make a healthy lunch at school. This requires at least 30 minutes to do so. A caterer can purchase and deliver the required goods. The school can also do this itself, but that requires good coordination. Additional physical exercise activities can be organised by scheduling brief exercise intervals during the classes. Educational co-workers, such as those from the after-school care services, as well as neighbourhood sport coaches can help when it comes to sport and play activities.
By making their own lunches, children end up eating more fruit, vegetables and whole-wheat bread as well as drinking more milk and water. More exercise activities and self-made lunches will contribute to children having a healthier weight. The percentage of overweight children between the ages of 4 and 18 could decrease from 13.5% to 10.2% by 2040, and the percentage of obese children from 2.8% to 2.3%. This decrease could contribute to fewer adults being overweight, obese, or diabetic in future. However, for that to happen, the children would have to maintain their change in behaviour as adults. To help children in this regard, school lunches and exercise activities could be supplemented by activities in secondary school and in their neighbourhood.
This study was carried out in response to previous successful projects with healthy school lunches and more physical exercise in primary schools.
Vegetable intake of Dutch adolescents is too low. Whereas 250g per day is recommended, current consumption for adolescents aged 14-18 years is 87g/day for girls and 103g/day for boys. In The Netherlands, vegetables are mainly eaten at dinner. As adolescents like to eat snacks during the day, serving vegetable-rich snacks may be an effective strategy to increase their vegetable intake.
Aim: To investigate adolescents’ appreciation and buying behaviour of vegetable-rich snacks in a real life setting.
Methods: After a baseline period of three weeks, three vegetable-rich snacks were added for 3 weeks to the school canteen assortment of 6 high schools: cauliflower nuggets (period 1), and vegetable balls and vegetable wraps (period 2). Advertising did not refer to the healthiness or vegetable ingredients of the snacks. Sales of the products were monitored and students completed questionnaires to evaluate the products after period 1 (n=833) and period 2 (n=227).
Results: The sales of the nuggets and balls was 9-9.5% of the sold snacks in the test period. Wrap sales was 6.4% of the bread-like products. Whereas 66% of the students noticed the nuggets in the canteen, only 14-20% noticed the balls or wraps (p<0.001). Only 10% of the respondents actually bought the vegetable-rich products. They bought the products 3-6 times during the 3-week test period, but gave relatively low liking scores (3.8-4.6 on a 10-point scale). Future buying intention was higher for the wraps (20%; p<0.001) than for the other two products (~11%). Pricing was perceived as right for the balls, whereas the other two products were perceived as too expensive.
Conclusions: It remains a challenge to increase vegetable intake by vegetable-rich snacks that are appreciated by adolescents. A longer introduction period, clear communication, enhancing the taste, and competitive prices may be needed to increase the consumption of vegetable-rich snacks.
Tussen 8 en 17 mei 2020 onderzocht Wageningen Food & Biobased Research middels een representatieve steekproef van 1500 consumenten welke verschillen zij tijdens de COVID-19 maatregelen ervaren hebben ten opzichte van voor deze periode. Zij kregen vragen voorgelegd over hun planning- en aankoopgedrag, het bereiden van maaltijden, het bewaren van voedselproducten en de hoeveelheid voedsel die zij weggooiden.
Voedselverspilling is een wereldwijd probleem. De Nederlandse consument gooit zo’n 34 kg voedsel weg per persoon per jaar. Op 16 maart 2020 startte in Nederland de intelligente lockdown vanwege de COVID-19 pandemie. Dit betekende onder andere het sluiten van restaurants en cafés, het stoppen van (bedrijfs)catering en het uitstellen of annuleren van evenementen. Voor het winkelen werden strikte sociale afstandsmaatregelen getroffen en alle Nederlanders kregen het advies zoveel mogelijk thuis te blijven of te werken. Scholen en universiteiten schakelden over op online onderwijs. Vanaf 11 mei ging het basisonderwijs weer beperkt open. Voorafgaand aan de officiële lockdown zag men in de media beelden van lege schappen in de supermarkt, en werden bepaalde producten gehamsterd, o.a. brood, meel, pasta, rijst, desinfecterende handzeep en toiletpapier. De invloed van COVID-19 op voedselverspilling bij consumenten thuis werd door Wageningen Food & Biobased Research nader onderzocht.
Bron: Janssen, A. M., & Stroosnijder, S. (2020). Evenveel of minder voedselverspilling bij consumenten thuis door COVID-19. Wageningen University & Research. https://edepot.wur.nl/529182
This study explores the options to make fresh food packages more sustainable, recyclable or even circular recyclable. The packaging options for two fresh food products were examined: snack tomatoes and poultry meat products. The study revealed that there are indeed possibilities to make these packages recyclable and limit the environmental impact of the product-packaging combination.
This study explores the options to make fresh food packages more sustainable, recyclable or even circular recyclable. The packaging options for two fresh food products were examined: snack tomatoes and poultry meat products. The study revealed that there are indeed possibilities to make these packages recyclable and limit the environmental impact of the product-packaging combination. None of the currently available packages is circular recyclable and neither will they not potentially contribute to the formation of litter. However, existing packaging options can become circular recyclable in the near future when the required recycling technologies are developed. The quest for more circular recyclable packages did reveal several dilemmas. These dilemmas concern the whole value chains of both the product and the package and cannot be resolved by the food company alone. The quarry for more circular recyclable packages can only succeed when all the stakeholders are involved, including the citizens.
Food companies can pursue multiple sustainability strategies (limit food waste, limit environmental impacts of the food-packaging combination, recyclability, circularity, limit the impact of littered packages) and all these strategies will render different packaging designs.
Source: Thoden van Velzen, E. U. (2020). Seeking circularity: Finding sustainable packaging solutions for fresh products. (Report / Wageningen Food & Biobased Research; No. 2068). Wageningen Food & Biobased Research. https://doi.org/10.18174/526932
The ‘Healthy School Lunch’ project (PPS Een gezonde schoollunch - TKI AF-16098) aimed to study the feasibility and impact of offering a healthy school lunch in Dutch primary schools.
The ‘Healthy School Lunch’ project (PPS Een gezonde schoollunch - TKI AF-16098) aimed to study the feasibility and impact of offering a healthy school lunch in Dutch primary schools. In the first phase of the project we studied the support for a healthy school lunch among a wide range of stakeholders and we explored what they thought a healthy school lunch should look like. The next phase aimed to study the effects of a healthy school lunch on dietary intake and cognitive performance. In order to investigate the effects of providing a healthy school lunch on the dietary intake of children during lunch, a longitudinal intervention study with three schools was designed, where a healthy school lunch was offered for six months. Due to various financial and methodological reasons that were not fully considered when starting this project, it was not possible to combine the dietary intake and cognition study in the school lunch intervention. Instead, we explored the possibilities and requirements to perform a solid experimental cross-over study on the effects of a healthy school lunch on cognitive performance within the Healthy School Lunch Project. This process is described in the current report. We started with a review of the literature on the effects of a healthy school lunch on cognitive performance of children. Studies on the immediate and transient effects of a healthy school lunch versus skipping lunch showed, on a variety of cognitive measures, small and inconsistent effects on alertness and working memory of children. Studies on the long-term effects of a healthy school lunch versus habitual lunch showed small improvements in concentration and language processing ability of children.
Given the restriction that long term effects of a school lunch on cognitive performance could not be examined within the scope of this project, the focus shifted to understanding immediate effects. A well-designed study to capture immediate effects of a healthy school lunch on cognitive performance of children within our project would require a strictly controlled cross-over design in a school setting. The intervention should consist of an ad libitum buffet-style healthy school lunch, compared with a control condition in which children eat ad libitum from a provided lunch comparable to the common relatively unhealthy packed school lunch of Dutch children. Finding an adequate measure for cognitive performance is hampered by the great variation of previously used measures across studies. These ranged from relatively indirect measures of concentration and disengagement to standardized computerized tests assessing specific cognitive domains such as alertness and higher-level executive functions. Hence, a comprehensive battery of tests would be advisable to explore various potential effects. Power calculations would be needed to determine the sample size of such a study, but it is clear that large numbers of children would be needed, given the small expected effects and methodological challenges. As more than one participating school would be needed, multilevel statistical models would be required to handle grouped and individual children’s data. More research on the effects of a healthy school lunch on cognition in primary school children would be very useful. However, a well-designed study that would provide convincing evidence of the effects of a healthy school lunch on cognitive performance in primary school children, would require a high cost set-up that places a very high burden on both the children and the schools. Therefore, we decided that it is not realistic to perform this study within the Healthy School Lunch project. In this report we would like to share our findings, considerations and recommendations to researchers of future studies on the effect of healthy school lunches on cognitive performance in children.
Source: Bron: Dijkstra, C., van der Haar, S., van Bergen, G., van Kleef, E., & Vingerhoeds, M. (2020). Exploring the effects of a healthy school lunch on cognitive performance in Dutch primary school children within the Healthy School Lunch project. (Wageningen Food & Biobased Research report; No. 2041). Wageningen Food & Biobased Research. https://doi.org/10.18174/519945
Deze nota geeft een overzicht van de vleesconsumptie per hoofd van de bevolking in Nederland in de jaren 2005-2019. Het totale verbruik van vlees en vleeswaren per hoofd van de bevolking in Nederland ligt in 2019 op 77,8 kg (op basis van karkasgewicht). Dit is een stijging van 0,6 kg ten opzichte van 2018. De toename komt voor het overgrote deel (0,4 kg) voor rekening van een stijging in het verbruik van pluimveevlees. Na de stijging met ruim een halve kilo tussen 2017 en 2018 is er tussen 2018 en 2019 eenzelfde toename.
Wakker Dier is geïnteresseerd in de omvang van de vleesconsumptie per hoofd van de bevolking in Nederland. Wakker Dier heeft Wageningen Economic Research opnieuw benaderd om de vleesconsumptie per hoofd van de bevolking in Nederland te berekenen. Wageningen Economic Research heeft dit in 2015 voor het eerst gedaan (Verhoog et al., 2015). Ook heeft Wakker Dier gevraagd de huidige vleesconsumptie per hoofd van de bevolking in Nederland te vergelijken met eerdere jaren, zodat trends in de vleesconsumptie zichtbaar worden.
Deze nota geeft in hoofdstuk 3 een overzicht van het vleesverbruik per hoofd van de bevolking in Nederland in de jaren 2005-2019 en maakt daarbij onderscheid naar de volgende vleessoorten: rundvlees, varkensvlees, schapen- en geitenvlees, paardenvlees, pluimveevlees en totaal vlees.
In hoofdstuk 4 zetten we de actuele vleesconsumptie in Nederland af tegen de hoeveelheden zoals die worden aanbevolen door respectievelijk de Schijf van Vijf en de EAT-Lancet Commissie.
Traditiegetrouw geeft het afsluitende hoofdstuk enige achtergrond bij de jongste cijfers. Dit jaar is ervoor gekozen kort in te gaan op twee punten die in de twee voorgaande edities van deze nota zijn gemaakt. In de 2018-nota is met het oog op de vleesconsumptie in Nederland verwezen naar buitenhuishoudelijke consumptie. De nota van vorig jaar wijst op de bijdrage van buitenlandse toeristen aan de hoeveelheid vlees die binnen onze landsgrenzen wordt gegeten.
Alternatieve eiwitten zijn nog niet algemeen geaccepteerd door consumenten. Alternatieve eiwitten die al bekend zijn, zoals vis en peulvruchten, worden het meest geaccepteerd door de consument en insecten worden het minst geaccepteerd. Een vergelijking over de jaren heen laat zien dat consumenten nu een hogere acceptatie hebben van alle alternatieve eiwitten, en zichzelf minder als vleeseter identificeren, dan in 2015.
Alternatieve eiwitten zijn nog niet algemeen geaccepteerd door consumenten. Alternatieve eiwitten die al bekend zijn, zoals vis en peulvruchten, worden het meest geaccepteerd door de consument en insecten worden het minst geaccepteerd. Een vergelijking over de jaren heen laat zien dat consumenten nu een hogere acceptatie hebben van alle alternatieve eiwitten, en zichzelf minder als vleeseter identificeren, dan in 2015. De zelfgerapporteerde consumptie van alternatieve eiwitten toont echter geen verschillen tussen de jaren. Dit duidt op een kloof tussen intenties en gedrag. De meest relevante drijfveren voor intenties zijn emoties en sociale normen. Dit geeft de relevantie van onbewuste en affectieve factoren aan als het gaat om het begrijpen van de acceptatie van alternatieve eiwitten.
Eiwitten zijn een essentieel onderdeel van een gezond dieet. Eiwitten zijn de belangrijkste bouwstenen van het menselijk lichaam en zijn bijvoorbeeld belangrijk voor de opbouw van spiermassa. Dierlijke producten, zoals vlees, eieren en zuivel zijn populaire en algemeen geaccepteerde eiwitbronnen. De consumptie van dierlijke producten zoals verwerkt rood vlees gaat gepaard met negatieve gevolgen voor de gezondheid en het milieu. Niet alleen onder de westerse bevolking, maar overal ter wereld worden steeds meer dierlijke producten geconsumeerd. De verwachte groei van de menselijke bevolking in de komende decennia zal leiden tot een toename van de vraag naar eiwitten. De combinatie van een toenemende vraag en de hoge milieu-impact van dierlijke eiwitten heeft nadelige impact op klimaatverandering en de volksgezondheid. Daarom is er behoefte aan alternatieve, duurzamere eiwitbronnen.
Alternatieve eiwitbronnen, zoals zeewier, peulvruchten of insecten, worden breed besproken in de media en het beleid, maar ook ontwikkeld door voedselproducenten, en op de markt gebracht in bijvoorbeeld supermarkten en restaurants. Deze trends impliceren een verhoogde acceptatie en consumptie van alternatieve eiwitten. Tot nu toe is er echter nog geen onderzoek beschikbaar dat een antwoord geeft op de vraag hoe de acceptatie van alternatieve eiwitbronnen door de consument in de loop van de tijd is veranderd. Wageningen Economic Research heeft een onderzoek uitgevoerd om te onderzoeken hoe de Nederlandse consumentenacceptatie van alternatieve eiwitbronnen tussen 2015 en 2019 is veranderd.
Het voorkomen en verminderen van voedselverspilling wordt in toenemende mate beschouwd als een belangrijke en invloedrijke wijze om de milieudruk van het voedselsysteem te verminderen en om te komen tot een duurzaam, weerbaar en circulair voedselsysteem dat bijdraagt aan wereldwijde voedsel- en nutriënten zekerheid.
Het voorkomen en verminderen van voedselverspilling wordt in toenemende mate beschouwd als een belangrijke en invloedrijke wijze om de milieudruk van het voedselsysteem te verminderen en om te komen tot een duurzaam, weerbaar en circulair voedselsysteem dat bijdraagt aan wereldwijde voedsel- en nutriënten zekerheid. Als beleidsveld is het relatief nieuw. Pas sinds 2010 met de publicatie van de eerste Europese benchmark met data over voedselverspilling over de dan 27 Lidstaten wordt duidelijk wat de urgentie en omvang van de problematiek is (Monier et al., 20106 ). Naast drijvende krachten binnen en buiten de voedselketen, zijn wet- en regelgeving belangrijke aanknopingspunten in het raamwerk van maatregelen en activiteiten die gedaan kunnen worden om voedselverspilling te voorkomen (Wunder et al., 20187 ).
Doel literatuuronderzoek
Het doel van het literatuuronderzoek naar relevante wet- en regelgeving rondom het ontstaan en voorkomen van voedselverspilling is te komen tot een actuele stand van zaken, zowel binnen Nederlandse als Europese wet- en regelgeving
Bron: Bos-Brouwers, H. E. J., Kok, M. G., Snels, J. C. M. A., & van der Sluis, A. A. (2020). Spelregels veranderen: Impact en haalbaarheid van maatregelen vanuit beleid, wet- en regelgeving rondom het ontstaan en voorkomen van voedselverspilling. (Rapport / Wageningen Food & Biobased Research; No. 2079). Wageningen Food & Biobased Research. https://doi.org/10.18174/529887
Global transitions to a more biobased economy are underway. As part of these transitions, WUR calls for a shared strategy on production and consumption of protein. By 2050, humans will consume more animal protein than ever, driven by an increasing population and improved standards of living. This consumption level will deplete our natural resources. Hence, a transition towards eating protein from more diverse, resource-efficient sources is needed.
Global transitions to a more biobased economy are underway. As part of these transitions, WUR calls for a shared strategy on production and consumption of protein. By 2050, humans will consume more animal protein than ever, driven by an increasing population and improved standards of living. This consumption level will deplete our natural resources. Hence, a transition towards eating protein from more diverse, resource-efficient sources is needed. We envision a future in which protein production will be part of a sustainable, affordable, trustworthy and high-quality food system. Purposeful combinations of plants, animals, and microorganisms will be tailored to local conditions. To achieve this even in areas of scarce resources, breakthrough innovation, societal shifts and supportive regulatory changes are required. An integrated European platform supporting changes from farm to table will ensure that EU member states continue to lead the ongoing protein transition.
Voedsel is de eerste levensbehoefte van de mens. Onze huidige voedselsysteem is nog niet duurzaam. Belangrijke vraagstukken rondom onze voedselvoorziening gaan over hoe we de groeiende wereldbevolking kunnen blijven voeden, maar ook over gezond en veilig voedsel, gezonde voedingspatronen en duurzame en circulaire productiesystemen. Om tot een circulair voedselsysteem te komen zijn trendbreuken nodig in productie en consumptie. Voedselverspilling is hierin een belangrijk thema.
Voedsel is de eerste levensbehoefte van de mens. Onze huidige voedselsysteem is nog niet duurzaam. Belangrijke vraagstukken rondom onze voedselvoorziening gaan over hoe we de groeiende wereldbevolking kunnen blijven voeden, maar ook over gezond en veilig voedsel, gezonde voedingspatronen en duurzame en circulaire productiesystemen. Om tot een circulair voedselsysteem te komen zijn trendbreuken nodig in productie en consumptie. Voedselverspilling is hierin een belangrijk thema.
Jaarlijks wordt in Nederland naar schatting twee miljoen ton voedsel verspild. Dat gebeurt op tal van plekken in de voedselketen, van het boerenerf tot de supermarkt en alle schakels (transport, handel, levensmiddelenindustrie) die daartussen zitten. Consumenten gooien op jaarbasis gemiddeld zo’n 41 kilo voedsel per persoon weg. De impact op klimaatverandering in Nederland bedraagt ongeveer 6% van de totale uitstoot van broeikasgassen door menselijke activiteiten.
Minder voedsel verspillen levert een bijdrage aan het behalen van de klimaatdoelstellingen en draagt bij aan voldoende goed voedsel voor een groeiende wereldbevolking. De ambitie is dat in 2030 de voedselverspilling vanaf de retail tot en met de consument is gehalveerd en de verliezen binnen de naoogstketen significant zijn afgenomen. De Nederlandse overheid heeft zich, net als de EU gecommitteerd aan deze Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.
De productie van het voedsel moet rekening houden met grondstof-efficiëntie. In de keten is het van belang verliezen en verspilling te voorkomen, te verminderen en onvermijdbare zij- en reststromen beter tot waarde te brengen. De verhoogde grondstof-efficiëntie komt daarmee tot uiting in reductie van restafval en in een toenemende keuze voor bestemmingen van voedselresten voor partijen in de keten economisch interessant zijn.
Consumenten spelen via hun consumptiegedrag een belangrijke rol in de transitie. Daarom is het van belang om consumenten mee te nemen in het gedachtegoed van een circulaire economie. We moeten hen stimuleren om in hun patronen rondom kopen, koken en bewaren rekening te houden met het voorkomen van verspilling en het kiezen voor duurzame, circulaire producten. Voedselverspilling bij consumenten tegengaan vereist een duurzame gedragsverandering, waarbij de waardering van voedsel, handelingsperspectieven en de positieve sociale norm centraal staan.
Deze uitdagingen vragen om kennis en innovatie met impact. Impact op het bedrijfsleven, op het snijvalk van keten en consument, impact die ook daadwerkelijk tot een afname van voedselverspilling leidt. Dit vergt een systemische aanpak, met als prioritaire subthema’s: de vereiste gedragsverandering van de consument, het gebruik van voedselreststromen voor diervoer, de relatie tussen houdbaarheid en verpakkingen en het toepassen van dataficatie en slimme sensoren.
Bron: Stroosnijder, S., Vollebregt, M., Timmermans, T., & Bos-Brouwers, H. (2019). Samen tegen voedselverspilling: Programmeringsstudie voor de kennis en innovatie agenda. [Wageningen University & Research]. https://edepot.wur.nl/514321
Dit rapport gaat over het meten van de hoeveelheid voedselverspilling in Nederlandse huishoudens in opdracht van het ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit (LNV). Voedselverspilling betreft voedsel dat geschikt is voor menselijke consumptie en dat wordt weggegooid, al dan niet na de houdbaarheidsdatum of na bederf.
Dit rapport gaat over het meten van de hoeveelheid voedselverspilling in Nederlandse huishoudens in opdracht van het ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit (LNV). Voedselverspilling betreft voedsel dat geschikt is voor menselijke consumptie en dat wordt weggegooid, al dan niet na de houdbaarheidsdatum of na bederf. In mei en juni 2019 zijn steekproeven genomen, die geëxtrapoleerd zijn naar het hele jaar 2019. Dit onderzoek is eerder gedaan in 2010, 2013 en 2016. CREM Waste Management heeft een afvalsamenstellingsanalyse van vast huishoudelijk afval uitgevoerd bij 130 huishoudens in 13 gemeenten. Flycatcher Internet Research voerde het consumentenonderzoek ‘Voedselverspilling’ uit op basis van zelfrapportage onder 1.000 respondenten. Daarnaast heeft KantarPublic via een app een schattingsstudie gedaan naar verspilling van vloeistoffen onder 1.013 respondenten. Dit rapport vormt een synthese van de uitkomsten van deze 3 onderzoeken en voegt een aantal analyses toe. Het Voedingscentrum heeft dit onderzoek gecoördineerd en is ondersteund door een begeleidingscommissie met experts van het ministerie van LNV, Rijkswaterstaat, Milieu Centraal en Wageningen University & Research (WUR).
Bron: Ooijendijk, T., Janmaat, O., Soethoudt, J. M., Snoek, J., Palland, K., van Dooren, C., Schrijnen, M., & Huigens, M. (2019). Syntheserapport Voedselverspilling bij huishoudens in Nederland in 2019. Stichting Voedingscentrum Nederland. https://edepot.wur.nl/502184
Jaarlijks wordt wereldwijd 1,3 miljard ton voedsel verspild. Dat is een derde van al het geproduceerde voedsel. Vooral koelverse producten zoals verse groenten en zuivelproducten belanden in de afvalbak. Een onwenselijke situatie. De overheid wil deze verspilling in 2030 gehalveerd zien. Ook in de biologische keten komt voedselverspilling voor. In dit artikel wordt dit probleem toegespitst op derving in het winkelbedrijf.
Jaarlijks wordt wereldwijd 1,3 miljard ton voedsel verspild. Dat is een derde van al het geproduceerde voedsel. Vooral koelverse producten zoals verse groenten en zuivelproducten belanden in de afvalbak. Een onwenselijke situatie. De overheid wil deze verspilling in 2030 gehalveerd zien. Ook in de biologische keten komt voedselverspilling voor. In dit artikel wordt dit probleem toegespitst op derving in het winkelbedrijf.
Danig verminderen van voedselverspilling (derving) in de biologische keten is het doel van het project Efficiënte keten, verwaarding van reststromen. Onderzoekers en marktpartijen zoeken integraal naar strategieën die tot minder verspilling leiden. Verschillende schakels in de keten zijn in beeld gebracht. Dit leidde tot het vaststellen van drie onderzoeksthema’s:
• derving in de winkel
• derving bij toeleveranciers
• vermarkten van afwijkende producten en verwaarden van reststromen.
Bron: Tromp, S. O. (2018). Derving in de supermarkt kan flink omlaag: Deel 2: onderzoek en maatregelen voedselverspilling in de biologische keten. Ekoland, (6), 32-33. https://edepot.wur.nl/462754
Given the current and future needs of the human population and the finite resources our planet can provide, we will need to transition from the current unsustainable food system to a healthy, circular and resource-efficient paradigm. These transitions will be hugely complex, since the multiple aspects of food production and consumption are closely interconnected and changing one aspect can easily have major unintended consequences.
Given the current and future needs of the human population and the finite resources our planet can provide, we will need to transition from the current unsustainable food system to a healthy, circular and resource-efficient paradigm. These transitions will be hugely complex, since the multiple aspects of food production and consumption are closely interconnected and changing one aspect can easily have major unintended consequences. Yet the transitions are urgent and must be driven by science as well as values. Therefore an integrated vision is proposed characterised by four objectives, which are to be pursued through eight scientific approaches combined within a matrix.
The subjects of potential public-private partnerships in which transdisciplinary consortia are encouraged to collaborate can be found at the crossroads of various objectives and approaches. The extent and complexity of the tasks at hand demands a coordinated action that will include all stakeholders: the Food System Transitions. This should be a joint undertaking of industry and public partners committed to implementing a better system. In many ways, Europe is uniquely well placed to be at the forefront of these transitions and must take a lead in the years to come.
A key aspect of the vision is its multidisciplinary nature. This allows policy makers, funding agencies, researchers and programme managers to work on one dimension while remaining aware of how their work contributes to the whole, identifying any gaps and managing the balance. In keeping with this, the document can be read from front to back: however, its matrix approach means that readers who wish to do so can also focus on specific challenges or scientific approaches.
Source: Kampers, F. W. H., & Fresco, L. O. 2017. Food transitons 2030: How to achieve the transitions to a sustainable, affordable, trustworthy and high-quality food system in the next decade or two that will fulfill the needs of a diverse and growing world population. Wageningen University & Research.
This report concerns the first two-year research period of the PPS project ‘Efficient Chain,
prevention of waste streams’ (2015-2018). The ambition of this PPS project is to prevent losses
(spoilage, waste streams) in the organic food chain, and to increase the opportunities for waste
streams trade.
This report concerns the first two-year research period of the PPS project ‘Efficient Chain, prevention of waste streams’ (2015-2018). The ambition of this PPS project is to prevent losses (spoilage, waste streams) in the organic food chain, and to increase the opportunities for waste streams trade.
This project includes two research parts. Part A focusses on loss prevention in organic shops and at farms. Part B focusses on waste streams and aberrant products from organic potatoes, vegetables and fruit, primarily on products that are aberrant (shape, size) and for that reason have been disapproved for sale via usual sales channels .
Companies within the PPS project ‘Efficient Chain, prevention of waste streams’ are Udea/Ekoplaza, Eosta, Odin/Estafette and Green Organics. Knowledge Partners are Wageningen Food & Biobased Research and the Louis Bolk Institute.
The goal of the PPS project is:
1. To deliver tools for the prevention of losses at primary producers and in shops
2. To develop a marketing strategy for aberrant products and thus to reduce residue streams from potato, vegetable and fruit chains and to investigate alternative ways to valorise these streams.
For the shop situation, a simulation model was used for simulation of losses of three selected products. The results are product specific recommendations regarding, among others, a prolonged durability, presentation stock and decrease of consumer’s selection behaviour.
The loss percentage of approximately 15-25% in the organic sector is divided as follows:
Important aspects for loss decrease are the connection in the food chain, transparent storytelling to the consumer, marketing standards and practical improvements.
During the third project year, pilots will be started regarding the simulation of losses in shops (including generalisation of example shop conclusions) and the co-operation between Eosta and Udea / Ekoplaza (‘Elastic Chain’) for structural product loss reduction.
Source: Staps, S., Tromp, S., van Gogh, B., & van der Burgh, M. (2017). Efficiënte keten: preventie reststromen: rapportage 2015/2016. Louis Bolk Instituut. https://edepot.wur.nl/428582
Dagelijks wordt er wereldwijd veel voedsel weggegooid. In Nederland gooit een gemiddelde consument jaarlijks zo’n 50 kilo goed voedsel weg. Een deel hiervan wordt veroorzaakt doordat consumenten producten weggooien waarvan de houdbaarheidsdatum is verstreken.
Dagelijks wordt er wereldwijd veel voedsel weggegooid. In Nederland gooit een gemiddelde consument jaarlijks zo’n 50 kilo goed voedsel weg. Een deel hiervan wordt veroorzaakt doordat consumenten producten weggooien waarvan de houdbaarheidsdatum is verstreken.
Hierbij wordt echter geen verschil gemaakt tussen lang houdbare en verse producten. Gezien de veiligheidsaspecten van verse producten richtte dit onderzoek zich op lang houdbare producten die bij kamertemperatuur bewaard kunnen worden.
Doelstelling onderzoek
Het onderzoeken van het effect van houdbaarheidsdata van lang houdbare producten op voedselverspilling bij huishoudens. Hierbij is gekeken naar producten, waarbij:
• geen houdbaarheidsdatum op de verpakking staat,
• op het etiket diverse alternatieve terminologieën worden gebruikt.
Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd in een experimentele setting, met inzet van een consumentenpanel (86 respondenten).
Bron: Bos-Brouwers, H. E. J. (2017). Effect van terminologie houdbaarheidsdata op voedselverspilling in huishoudens. Wageningen Food & Biobased Research. https://edepot.wur.nl/411759
Better understanding of consumer food waste behaviour is an important key to reducing food waste. Prior research, both national (e.g. Netherlands Nutrition Centre/GfK, 2013), and European (e.g. Flash Eurobarometer 425 on Food waste and date marking, 2015), indicates that misinterpretation of date marking by consumers is very often given as one of the more important causes of food waste.
Better understanding of consumer food waste behaviour is an important key to reducing food waste. Prior research, both national (e.g. Netherlands Nutrition Centre/GfK, 2013), and European (e.g. Flash Eurobarometer 425 on Food waste and date marking, 2015), indicates that misinterpretation of date marking by consumers is very often given as one of the more important causes of food waste. However, little is as yet known about the size of this effect and how the terminology used might affect this. As a result, the Ministry of Economic Affairs commissioned Wageningen Food & Biobased Research to conduct a study on what the effects on consumer discarding behaviour are of using alternative terminology and omitting date marking on products with a long shelf life.
The main question is whether changing or omitting the date marking terminology currently being used (i.e. ‘best before date’) on products with a long shelf life could contribute to decreasing food waste by households. This qualitative study has been conducted in an experimental setting using sorting assignments, online visual surveys and focus group discussions conducted by a group of 86 Dutch consumers. The experiments were conducted in a controlled environment. No research was conducted into discarding behaviour based on the number of kilograms ending up in waste bins, but concerned the selection behaviour related to products that respondents would discard in the experimental setting.
The results provide new indicative insights into how changing date marking terminology – or its omission – could influence the prevalence of food waste. Products with a long shelf life here are taken to mean products which under current legislation must be labelled with a best before date (Dutch: THT datum, Tenminste Houdbaar Tot datum, i.e. ‘can be preserved until at least date’). The study was restricted to a selection of these products, namely those which can be stored at ambient temperature. Examples of such products are rice, pasta, coffee and tinned soup.
This study indicates that respondents discard fewer products if there is no best before date on the packaging. On average, in this experiment 39% of the products were thrown away if the best before date had expired. If there was no best before date on the packaging, 27% was thrown away. This is a difference of 12% on average. However, there are major differences between product categories.
The results with regard to using alternative terminology showed that respondents throw away 31% less if the term ‘Long shelf life’ is used on the packaging (without a specific date). Although respondents discarded less, they indicated that they were uncomfortable with this term. It does not provide any clarity concerning the food safety and quality of the product in question. This uncertainty turns out to have a significant influence on consumer discarding behaviour: Can I still safely consume this product? Will it taste good?
The conclusion of this study is that both omitting date marking and introducing alternative terminology could contribute to decreasing food waste in households. Introducing these measures in stages is recommended, since the study indicated that for some of the product groups being investigated (products such as sugar, rice, flour and tea), respondents did not experience such uncertainty. Using the term ‘long shelf life’ on the packaging of these products seems promising. In addition, attention should be paid to changing the risk perception of consumers. There are various options, such as providing better consumer information, providing information on the product packaging (perhaps also with QR codes or smartphone applications). Further investigation will have to show how precisely this should be done.
Source: Holthuysen, N., Kremer, S., & Bos-Brouwers, H. (2017). The effect of date marking terminology of products with a long shelf life on food discarding behaviour of consumers. (Wageningen Food & Biobased Research report; No. 1709). Wageningen Food & Biobased Research. https://doi.org/10.18174/428726
The aim of this research was to investigate whether increased portion sizes of vegetables and decreased portion sizes of meat on main dishes increased the amount of vegetables consumed in a real-life restaurant setting without affecting customer satisfaction. The participants were unaware of the experiment.
Background: The aim of this research was to investigate whether increased portion sizes of vegetables and decreased portion sizes of meat on main dishes increased the amount of vegetables consumed in a real-life restaurant setting without affecting customer satisfaction. The participants were unaware of the experiment.
Methods: A cross-over design was used in which three restaurants were randomly assigned to a sequence of an intervention and control condition. In the intervention period, the vegetable portion sizes on the plates of main dishes were doubled (150 g of vegetables instead of 75 g) and the portion sizes of meat on the plates were reduced by an average of 12.5%. In the control period, the portion sizes of the main dishes were maintained as usual. In total, 1006 observations and questionnaires were included.
Results: Vegetable consumption from plates was significantly higher during the intervention period (M = 115.5 g) than during the control period (M = 61.7 g). Similarly, total vegetable consumption (including side dishes) was significantly higher during the intervention period (M = 178.0 g) than during the control period (M = 137.0 g). Conversely, meat consumption was significantly lower during the intervention period (M = 183.1 g) than during the control period (M = 211.1 g). Satisfaction with the restaurant visit did not differ between the intervention period (M = 1.27) and control period (M = 1.35). Satisfaction with the main dish was significantly lower during the intervention period (M = 1.25) than during the control period (M = 1.38), although in both cases, the scores indicated that participants remained (very) satisfied with their main dish.
Conclusions: This study showed that increasing vegetable portions in combination with decreasing meat portions (unknowingly to the consumer) increased the amount of vegetables consumed and decreased the amount of meat consumed. Furthermore, despite the changes in portion sizes, participants remained satisfied with their restaurant visit and main dish. The findings of this study suggest that modifying portion size in restaurants is an effective tool for stimulating vegetable consumption and consequently healthy and sustainable diets.
Source: Reinders, M. J., Huitink, M., Dijkstra, S. C., Maaskant, A. J., & Heijnen, J. (2017). Menu-engineering in restaurants - adapting portion sizes on plates to enhance vegetable consumption: a real-life experiment. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(41), [41]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0496-9