| Autor: |
Franchini C; Human Nutrition Unit, Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy., Bartolotto C; UCLA Housing, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA., Scazzina F; Human Nutrition Unit, Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy., Carpenter CL; Division of Clinical Nutrition, Center for Human Nutrition, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.; School of Nursing, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA., Slusser W; Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.; Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.; Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. |
| Abstrakt: |
Creating a decision-making environment that promotes sustainable food choices is a priority for both the individual and society. This study aimed at encouraging plant-based menu choices by re-ordering the menu according to the carbon footprint values. The project was conducted in a grab-and-go eatery at a large United States public university, where students could order their meals choosing among different menu options that were customizable with various ingredients. The order of menu ingredients was changed twice: for five weeks, from the most to the least impactful in terms of carbon footprint; subsequently, for another five weeks the order was reversed. At both times, all sales data were recorded. A total of 279,219 and 288,527 items were selected, respectively, during the first and the second intervention. A significant association was found between menu re-ordering and customers' choices for almost all food categories considered. Overall, despite beef choices not changing, results showed that students were more likely to choose low-carbon options when these were placed at the beginning, emphasizing that food selections were impacted by ingredient placement on the menu list. These findings highlight the need for a multi-level strategy focused on raising students' awareness of the environmental impact of animal-based foods, particularly beef. |
