FOOD Pilots – PERSONALISED PUBLIC FOOD SERVICE

stemma_comune_asti_300_pcpatrociniocomunemilano_orizzontale4coloriA new application to tailor public food services to specific users and neighbourhood needs.

 

Access it here: https://publicfood.eu/publicfood/

 

The Problem

Public food systems naturally tend to be ‘one size fits all’. Yet public food systems, with innovation and leadership can be decisive changemakers when it comes to boosting public health and equal opportunities. With the Public Food service market in the EU being estimated at €82 billion, the public sector has significant leverage to change food habits and whole supply chains.

Our Challenge….

So, we asked, ‘what might we better serve citizens in particular neighbourhoods or demographics who have a specific dietary need? how might neighbourhoods benefit from detailed information on the diets and lifestyles trending in their area?’

Their solution…

pilot2In response to this challenge CAPSELLA partners developed this pilot service which helps public food systems tailor their menus and awareness campaigns with greater precision, thanks to open data. working closely with many stakeholders and users, and especially Collaborating with the Cities of Asti and Milan, we trialled a ‘Public Food’ Pilot to help support city representatives, schools and parents in taking decisions which result in healthy, varied diets and lifestyles.

 

This pilot service will lead to better informed decisions in the design and offer of meals in schools (and potentially other public institutions) and the information they make available. Ultimately, it will help to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases, such as obesity and allergies.

 

This service helps promote agrobiodiversity: greater demand for varied diets means greater demand for diversified food sources.

Background

The WHO reported in 2017 that 1in 3 kids between 6 and 9 in the EU are obese. Given that school meals represent 31% of public food systems’ expenditure, tax payers maybe ought to expect a better – more transparent – supply chain behind what schools give our children to eat. In short, public food systems need provide balanced and healthy diets. They have an obligation to source meals cost-effectively whilst taking environmental and health factors into account. Our pilot helps to enhance transparency in this and inform decision making in food supply chain management, public procurement and consumption of meals served at public schools.

Based on given food recipes, the application we developed acquires nutritional, health and social data by users and open databases. Aggregated data form a geo-located interface informs canteen operators and public food procurement officers about the nutritional background and habits of school children across the city. Parents will receive information about the daily/weekly menu served to their children at school, the presence of allergens in each meal, as well as educational material on better and sustainable diets. So, collaborating with the City of Asti, we trialled a ‘Public Food’ Pilot to help support schools and parents in taking decisions which result in healthy, varied diets and lifestyles.

This pilot service will lead to better informed decisions in the design and offer of meals in schools (and potentially other public institutions) and the information they make available. Ultimately, it will help to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases, such as obesity and allergies.

This service helps promote agrobiodiversity: greater demand for varied diets means greater demand for diversified food sources.

We also collaborate with two cities, Asti and Milan.