assessment of food waste management in hospitals from a health and pollution control perspective

Food waste management in hospitals, as one of the potential sources of environmental contamination and a threat to public health, has become a serious challenge within healthcare systems. the aim of this study is to assess the status of food waste management in hospitals from the viewpoint of health and pollution control and to provide strategies for its improvement. the findings indicate that food waste management should not be regarded merely as an environmental action, but rather as an integrated component of hospital health systems. the results show that in most hospitals, deficiencies exist in the control and management of food waste. however, case studies reveal that by adhering to clinical, environmental, and patient-related nutritional principles, the amount of food waste can be reduced from approximately 50% to around 10–30%. furthermore, research indicates that improving the quality of the hospital food service system, providing continuous staff training, closely monitoring food delivery to patients, and fostering cooperation among experts in various fields, such as environmental health and food hygiene, can significantly reduce the volume of food waste and lead to notable improvements in environmental health indicators. ultimately, the proposed framework of this study, by presenting effective solutions, can assist health professionals, hospital staff, and researchers in optimizing food waste management in hospitals.