To measure the effect of organic food conversion projects on the percentage of organic food used in Danish public kitchens participating in the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020.

The current longitudinal study was based on measurements of organic food percentages in Danish public kitchens before and after kitchen employees participated in conversion projects.

Public kitchens participating in the nine organic food conversion projects under the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020, initiated during autumn 2012 and spring 2013 and completed in summer 2015.

A total of 622 public kitchens.

The average (median) increase in organic food percentage from baseline to follow-up was 24 percentage points (P<0·001) during an overall median follow-up period of 1·5 years. When analysing data according to public kitchen type, the increase remained significant for seven out of eight kitchens. Furthermore, the proportion of public kitchens eligible for the Organic Cuisine Label in either silver (60–90 % organic food procurement) or gold (90–100 % organic food procurement) level doubled from 31 % to 62 %, respectively, during the conversion period. Conversion project curriculum mostly included elements of ‘theory’, ‘menu planning’, ‘network’ and ‘Organic Cuisine Label method’ to ensure successful implementation.

The study reports significant increases in the level of organic food procurement among public kitchens participating in the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020. Recommendations for future organic conversion projects include adding key curriculum components to the project’s educational content and measuring changes in organic food percentage to increase the chances of successful implementation.

With political support from the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020, organic public procurement in Denmark is expected to increase. In order to evaluate changes in organic food procurement in Danish public kitchens, reliable methods are needed. The present study aimed to compare organic food procurement measurements by two methods and to collect and discuss baseline organic food procurement measurements from public kitchens participating in the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020.

Comparison study measuring organic food procurement by applying two different methods, one based on the use of procurement invoices (the Organic Cuisine Label method) and the other on self-reported procurement (the Dogme method). Baseline organic food procurement status was based on organic food procurement measurements and background information from public kitchens.

Public kitchens participating in the six organic food conversion projects funded by the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020 during 2012 and 2013.

Twenty-six public kitchens (comparison study) and 345 public kitchens (baseline organic food procurement status).

A high significant correlation coefficient was found between the two organic food procurement measurement methods (r=0·83, P<0·001) with measurements relevant for the baseline status. Mean baseline organic food procurement was found to be 24 % when including measurements from both methods.

The results indicate that organic food procurement measurements by both methods were valid for the baseline status report of the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020. Baseline results in Danish public kitchens suggest there is room for more organic as well as sustainable public procurement in Denmark.

To investigate the effectiveness of a relatively novel concept of providing employees with healthy ready-to-heat meals to bring home to their families, here referred to as Canteen Take Away (CTA).

Employees’ dietary intake on two weekdays when they received free CTA was compared with that on weekdays when they did not receive CTA. Four non-consecutive 24 h dietary recalls were applied to assess dietary intake on a daily basis. Moreover, a digital photographic method was used to assess evening meal intake for three consecutive weeks. Data were analysed using a mixed-effects model.

A financial worksite offering CTA.

Twenty-seven employees.

Overall dietary quality as expressed by the energy density of the food (excluding beverages) was found to be significantly lower on days consuming CTA meals compared to days not consuming CTA with regard to evening meal intake (average difference: −187 (95 % CI −225, −149) kJ/100 g) and on a daily basis (average difference: −77 (95 % CI −132, −21) kJ/100 g). Other favourable differences included increased vegetable intake (average difference: 83 (95 % CI 67, 98) g/evening meal, 109 (95 % CI 62, 155) g/d).

The present study shows that providing healthy take-away dinners has potential for promoting healthy dietary habits among employees. This reinforces the importance of availability and convenience as effective tools to promote healthy eating habits.

To examine the impact of a 6-month participatory and empowerment-based intervention study on employees’ dietary habits and on changes in the canteen nutrition environment.

Worksites were stratified by company type and by the presence or absence of an in-house canteen, and randomly allocated to either an intervention group (five worksites) or a minimum intervention control group (three worksites). The study was carried out in partnership with a trade union and guided by an ecological framework targeting both individual and environment levels. Outcome measures included: (i) changes in employees’ dietary habits derived from 4 d pre-coded food diaries of a group of employees at the worksites (paired-data structure); and (ii) the canteen nutrition environment as identified by aggregating chemical nutritional analysis of individual canteen lunches (different participants at baseline and at endpoint).

Eight blue-collar worksites (five of these with canteens).

Employees.

In the intervention group (n 102), several significant positive nutritional effects were observed among employees, including a median daily decrease in intake of fat (−2·2 %E, P = 0·002) and cake and sweets (−18 g/10 MJ, P = 0·002) and a median increase in intake of dietary fibre (3 g/10 MJ, P < 0·001) and fruit (55 g/d, P = 0·007 and 74 g/10 MJ, P = 0·009). With regard to the canteen nutrition environment, a significant reduction in the percentage of energy obtained from fat was found in the intervention group (median difference 11 %E, P < 0·001, n 144).

The present study shows that moderate positive changes in dietary patterns can be achieved among employees in blue-collar worksites.

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the feasibility of using workplaces to increase the fruit consumption of participants by increasing fruit availability and accessibility by a minimal fruit programme. Furthermore, it was investigated whether a potential increase in fruit intake would affect vegetable, total energy and nutrient intake.

A 5-month, controlled, workplace study where workplaces were divided into an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG). At least one piece of free fruit was available per person per day in the IG. Total fruit and dietary intake was assessed, using two 24 h dietary recalls at baseline and at endpoint.

Eight Danish workplaces were enrolled in the study. Five workplaces were in the IG and three were in the CG.

One hundred and twenty-four (IG, n 68; CG, n 56) healthy, mainly normal-weight participants were recruited.

Mean daily fruit intake increased significantly from baseline to endpoint only in the IG by 112(se 35) g. In the IG, mean daily intake of added sugar decreased significantly by 10·7(se 4·4) g, whereas mean daily intake of dietary fibre increased significantly by 3·0(se 1·1) g. Vegetable, total energy and macronutrient intake remained unchanged through the intervention period for both groups.

The present study showed that it is feasible to increase the average fruit intake at workplaces by simply increasing fruit availability and accessibility. Increased fruit intake possibly substituted intake of foods containing added sugar. In this study population the increased fruit intake did not affect total energy intake.

To analyse the 5-year sustainability of a worksite canteen intervention of serving more fruit and vegetables (F&V).

Average F&V consumption per customer per meal per day was assessed in five worksite canteens by weighing F&V served and subtracting waste. Data were collected by the canteen staff during a 3-week continuous period and compared to data from the same five canteens measured at baseline, at end point and at 1-year follow-up. The intervention used a participatory and empowering approach, self-monitoring and networking among the canteen staff, management and a consultant. The method focused on providing ideas for increased F&V for lunch, making environmental changes in the canteens by giving access to tasteful and healthy food choices and reducing the availability of unhealthy options.

Five Danish worksites serving from 50 to 500 meals a day: a military base, an electronic component distributor, a bank, a town hall and a waste-handling facility.

Worksite canteen managers, canteen staff.

Four of the five worksite canteens were able to either maintain the intervention or even increase the consumption of F&V. The average increase from baseline to 5-year follow-up was 95 g per customer per meal per day (18, 144, 66, 105 and 141 g, respectively). On average, the five canteens at the long-term follow-up had an F&V consumption of 208 g/meal per customer.

The present study indicates that sustainability of F&V is possible in worksites where the participatory and empowering approach, self-monitoring, environmental change, dialogue with suppliers and networking among worksite canteens are applied.

Nutrition evaluation tools should be developed both for scientific purposes and to encourage and facilitate healthy nutritional practices. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a simple food-based Healthy Meal Index (HMI) reflecting the nutritional profile of individual canteen meals.

The development process included overall model selection, setting nutritional goals and defining scoring systems and thresholds. Three index components were included: (i) contents of fruit and vegetables, (ii) fat content and quality and (iii) contents of wholegrain products and potatoes. The development was built on the principles embodied by the Plate Model, but providing more specificity in some areas. The simple HMI was validated against weighed and chemically analysed food and nutrient content of a representative sample of canteen meals. The sample was split into four categories according to the total index score and compared across categories.

A total of 180 meals from fifteen worksite canteens.

Average energy density decreased significantly across categories (from 876 kJ/100 g to 537 kJ/100 g, P < 0·001). Also, the content of total and saturated fat, carbohydrate and fruit and vegetables varied across categories with higher score values being closer to dietary guidelines (P < 0·001).

The simple HMI was successful in ranking canteen meals according to their nutritional quality. The index provides a valuable tool to both researchers and food and nutrition professionals, e.g. caterers and dietitians, who wish to evaluate nutritional quality of meals in line with the recommendations for healthier eating without the use of nutrition calculation programs.