Banca de DEFESA: THAIS DE GOIS SANTOS MARINHO

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : THAIS DE GOIS SANTOS MARINHO
DATE: 04/08/2025
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Plataforma Google Meet https://meet.google.com/qwn-zsue-ndu
TITLE:

PROVISION OF MEALS FOR WORKERS IN COMMERCIAL FOOD SERVICES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY

KEY WORDS:

Food services; Menus; Workers; Food Security; Environmental Sustainability

PAGES: 82
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Nutrição
SUMMARY:

Food services play a fundamental role in promoting food security and environmental impact reduction, especially in planning healthy and sustainable menus for workers. This study evaluated menus offered to workers in commercial food services, considering the perspectives of healthiness and sustainability. Conducted in five commercial restaurants (R1–R5) in the city of Natal, RN, the study was structured around three main dimensions : social, health, and environmental. The social dimension was investigated through the sociodemographic profile and the assessment of food security, using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. The health dimension involved the analysis of workers' nutritional status, based on Body Mass Index (BMI), as well as the estimation of nutritional needs and nutritional evaluation of the menus offered. The environmental dimension assessed the impacts associated with the menus through water, carbon, and ecological footprints. A total of 261 workers participated in the sociodemographic questionnaire and the scale, with a predominance of males (67.9%), an average age of 32 years, and 53.5% having completed high school. It was observed that 70.2% were responsible for purchasing food and 70.6% participated in meal preparation at home. Food insecurity was present in 53.3% of respondents and was significantly associated with income (p = 0.001), education level (p = 0.023), household composition (p = 0.020), and municipality of residence (p = 0.028). Regarding nutritional status, 438 workers were evaluated, and it was found that 68.3% were overweight or obese, with obesity prevalence of 30.5% among men and 42.7% among women. In the analysis of 111 menus, restaurants R1 and R4 showed caloric density close to the recommended levels, while R2 and R3 exceeded them by 11% and 13%, respectively, and R5 exceeded by more than 60%, characterizing a hypercaloric menu. There was a predominance of lipids and sodium, reduced levels of carbohydrates, and protein values within recommended levels. Regarding food purchases, 54.1% of items came from local suppliers, 43.2% from the state, and 2.7% from national sources. Most of the foods (59.8%) were fresh or minimally processed, 9.3% processed, and 16.5% ultra-processed; additionally, 24.7% contained culinary ingredients. In the environmental analysis, beef was the food with the highest contribution to environmental footprints, followed by poultry, eggs, and pork. The weekly menu averages were: carbon footprint (2.3 kgCO₂), water footprint (1.94 m³), and ecological footprint (12.5 kg/m²). The results reveal a concerning situation : workers in commercial kitchen services—even in wellrated restaurants—experience some level of food insecurity, highlighting social vulnerabilities and the invisibility of this group. It is essential to adopt a committed approach to ensuring their dignity, which includes better working and dietary conditions. Although many menus meet caloric needs, the excess of lipids and sodium raises the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity. Additionally, the findings reinforce the evidence that beef consumption significantly impacts the environment, requiring a rethinking of food policies and practices both for those who, paradoxically, are directly involved in meal production and in efforts to reduce environnemental impacts.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externo à Instituição - DIOGO THIMOTEO DA CUNHA - UNICAMP
Interna - 2373959 - LARISSA MONT ALVERNE JUCA SEABRA
Presidente - 1610982 - PRISCILLA MOURA ROLIM