Food waste in residential aged care: A scoping review

The aim of this review was to explore the evidence available on food waste in residential aged care.

This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. Peer-reviewed literature was retrieved from six databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Academic Search Premier, ProQuest Consumer Health, ProQuest Public Health), and grey literature was retrieved through Google up to January 2025. Results were screened by two independent reviewers. Data were extracted from relevant sources using a data extraction tool developed by the reviewers and were reported in tables and narrative text.

A total of 33 sources (20 peer-reviewed and 13 grey literature sources) were included in this review. The majority reported an amount of waste, typically as a weight or percentage. Key findings of the review were that plate waste was the most measured food waste in residential aged care (n = 14) and that most studies used weighed methods (n = 10) or visual estimation (n = 6) to measure waste. Ten strategies to reduce food waste in this setting were identified, and only three studies conducted interventions to reduce food waste.

This scoping review identified that plate waste was the most common type of food waste investigated and measured in this setting. However, measurement of other types of waste such as production and spoilage waste was limited and is an area for future research. This review provides several strategies to reduce food waste in this setting, and future research evaluating these strategies will be valuable for reducing total food waste in residential aged care.