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Plate Waste In Hospitals And Strategies For Change, Peter G. Williams, Karen Walton

Peter Williams

Plate waste in hospitals refers to the served food that remains uneaten by patients. High levels of plate waste contribute to malnutrition-related complications in hospital, and there are also financial and environmental costs. Plate waste is typically measured by weighing food or by visual estimation of the amount of food remaining on the plate, with results presented as the percentage by weight of the served food, or by calculating the protein, energy or monetary value of the waste. Results from 32 studies in hospitals show a median plate waste of 30% by weight (range: 6-65%), much higher than in other …