4.4 Distribution of meals

The organic waste generated at the distribution stage for the three community restaurants was related to the leftovers (meals produced and not distributed) (Table 4).

Management of Organic Solid Waste in Meal Production DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83535

Vaz [29] acknowledged an acceptable level of leftovers of up to 3% since high percentages may indicate excess production, and consequently, food wastage. In this present study, the percentage of leftovers for all three restaurants was above the recommended level at 7.1, 10.1, and 7.6% for R1, R2, and R3, respectively (Table 3). Busato et al. [30] evaluated the percentage of leftovers in a community restaurant in Chapecó-Santa Catarina, Brazil, and observed that it was within the recommended level (1%). The authors emphasized the importance of leftover control in meal production, not only for assessing food waste and cost, but also as an indicator of the quality of the meal served and level of acceptance of the menu offered.

In contrast to Venzke [31], who identified the prepreparation area as one of the largest sources of organic waste, in the present research, it was observed that the largest generation of organic waste occurred at the distribution stage and was represented by leftovers and food scraps (Table 2).

Considering the quantity of leftovers from the restaurants under study (Table 3), 272, 292, and 188 additional daily meals could be served, respectively, at R1, R2, and R3. The excess of leftovers indicates a failure in the planning of the menu [32].

To minimize the quantity of leftovers, it is necessary to organize the work process, correctly plan for the number of meals and quantities per capita, monitor meal distribution with specific training for correct portioning, increase awareness, involve the team, and prepare smaller quantities where possible.

In this research, the following factors were observed related to the high levels of solid waste produced during the meal distribution stage:


Figure 5. Lack of care with exposed meals.



#### Management plan for organic solid waste generated in the production of meals.

Castro and Queiroz [33] indicated an ideal index of food scraps of less than 5%. In this present study, the incidence of remains above 10% detected at the three community restaurants (Table 3) may be related to planning failures such as monotony and repetitiveness in the supply of meals. Chamberlem et al. [34] identified potential causes of the generation of food scraps as the absence of new meals, monotony in the consistency of the meals served, inadequacy of the temperature of the prepared meals, and the above-standard portioning. In addition, inadequate ambient temperature and insufficient seating in the cafeteria may impact the amount of food wasted by consumers.

In the community restaurants assessed in this study, the separated OSW was stored in a refrigerated room before final disposal; however, the handling of the recyclable waste was carried out in an inadequate manner, as many residues were temporarily stored at room temperature in an uncovered area, and the cartons were mixed with plastic bags containing traces of blood from meat packaging. This form of waste handling and separation may lead to the proliferation of rodents and insects, in addition to making it difficult to recycle [7]. The better the separation, the greater the possibility for suitable treatment and/or disposal for the different types of waste generated [35].

In light of the above, the management of solid waste generated during the production of meals, especially the organics, is necessary to assist in the production of more sustainable meals.

## 5. Management processes

There have been many questions surrounding the issue of food waste throughout the food chain (from production to consumption), and some solutions are related to the improvement of food and solid waste legislation [36].

Organic solid waste management based on environmental performance evaluation during large-scale meal production can be an effective strategy to minimize the environmental, social, and economic issues arising from its generation [37]. As a proposal, based on the flow of the production process, it is possible to choose operational performance indicators using the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle [38, 39] for the management of OSW, as shown in Table 5.

The prevention of food waste is the first priority in the proposed hierarchy of management of OSW, as emphasized by Andriukaitis [40]. In this sense, it is necessary to evaluate which losses are avoidable in order for the plan to be feasible. This is because inevitable losses must follow the second priority in the management hierarchy, which is the treatment (organic solid waste) or recycling (recyclable) of waste and will depend on the technology, infrastructure, incentives, finances, and markets that are available [40].

Finally, the management of OSW during the production of meals should include the planning of menus, logistics of supply of foodstuffs and materials, and the entire flow of production. These actions are critical since wasting water, energy, and calories accompany food waste.

## 6. Conclusions

The volume of food wasted during food production is of great concern and has implications for both food safety and the environment. Although food losses occur along the food production chain, it is necessary to study food waste both at the

Management of Organic Solid Waste in Meal Production DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83535

household and collective levels in restaurants (a specific segment of the food supply chain), in order to minimize this problem.

Community restaurants are a food safety mechanism utilized in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, designed to feed socially vulnerable populations. However, they still require management improvements in order to provide safe and sustainable food.

The assessment of solid waste generation in the three community restaurants allowed for the elaboration of a management plan based on the selection of environmental performance indicators for the various stages of the food production process, which facilitated the collection and analysis of comparable data with established goals.

It is therefore concluded that the management of restaurants cannot be isolated from the social, economic, and environmental issues resulting from the production of meals.
