Considering the importance of schools for sustainable food offers and the formation of conscientious citizens on sustainability, this systematic review aimed to verify the recommendations on sustainability in school feeding policies and the sustainability practices adopted in schools. The research question that guided this study is “what are the recommendations on sustainability in school feeding policies and the sustainability practices adopted in schools?”. This systematic review was prepared according to PRISMA, and its checklist was registered in PROSPERO. Specific search strategies for Scopus, Web of Science, Pubmed, Lilacs, Google Scholar, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global were developed. The included studies’ methodological quality was evaluated using the Meta-Analysis Statistical Assessment and Review Instrument (MASTARI). A total of 134 studies were selected for a full reading. Of these, 50 met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. Several sustainability practices were described. The most cited are school gardens and education activities for sustainability. However, actions carried out in food services were also mentioned, from the planning of menus and the purchase of raw materials (mainly local and organic foods, vegetarian/vegan menus) to the distribution of meals (reduction of organic and inorganic waste: composting, recycling, donating food, and portion sizes). Recommendations for purchasing sustainable food (organic, local, and seasonal), nutrition education focused on sustainability, and reducing food waste were frequent; this reinforces the need to stimulate managers’ view, in their most varied spheres, for the priority that should be given to this theme, so that education for sustainability is universally part of the curricula. The importance of education in enabling individuals to promote sustainable development is reaffirmed in Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). The development of assessment instruments can help monitor the evolution of sustainable strategies at schools and the main barriers and potentialities related to their implementation.

Food neophobia (FN), a frequent disorder in childhood, profoundly impacts the quality of a diet, restricting the intake of nutrients to maintain proper nutrition. Therefore, using the appropriate tools to assess FN in children to promote healthy eating habits is essential. The study aimed to develop an integrative review with a systematic approach to identify the instruments to measure FN in children and analyze their differences. The included studies (n = 17) were more concentrated in Europe, demonstrating the possible lack of dissemination of the topic at a global level. Among the 18 tools, 6 were represented by adaptations of the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) and the Children’s Food Neophobia Scale (CFNS), and one was the CFNS itself, demonstrating the relevance of these pioneering tools. The need to meet mainly cultural and cognitive criteria led to the creation of other instruments (n = 11). A diversity of approaches concerning the respondents, age range, items, scales, and validation methods was revealed. Modifications to the tools in some nations highlighted their adaptability and effectiveness in addressing regional variations. The instruments can contribute to additional research to help us better understand the prevalence of FN in children, resulting in their health and well-being.

Industry 5.0 involves the integration of advanced technologies, collaboration between humans and intelligent machines, resilience and sustainability, all of which are essential for the advancement of the food services industry. This analysis reviews the scientific literature on Industries 4.0 and 5.0 technologies, whether experimental or implemented, focused on producing large meals in food service. The review has been conducted through a systematic search, covering aspects from consumer ordering and the cooking process to distribution while considering management, quality control, and sustainability. A total of thirty-one articles, published between 2006 and 2025, were selected, with the majority focusing on Industry 5.0 (71%) and a significant proportion on testing phases (77.4%). In the context of Food Service Perspectives, the emphasis has been placed on customer service (32.3%), highlighting the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered robots for serving customers and AI for service personalization. Sustainability has also received attention (29%), focusing on AI and machine learning (ML) applications aimed at waste reduction. In management (22.6%), AI has been applied to optimize production schedules, enhance menu engineering, and improve overall management. Big Data (BD) and ML were utilized for sales analysis, while Blockchain technology was employed for traceability. Cooking innovations (9.7%) centered on automation, particularly the use of collaborative robots (cobots). For Quality Control (6.4%), AI, along with the Internet of Things (IoT) and Cloud Computing, has been used to monitor the physical aspects of food. The study underscores the importance of strategic investments in technology to optimize processes and resources, personalize services, and ensure food quality, thereby promoting balance and sustainability.

Background/Objectives: Food neophobia (FN) in childhood is characterized by resistance to new foods, potentially impairing health and diet quality and impacting physical and mental development. Adequate nutrition in early childhood is crucial to preventing future problems. FN demands special attention, especially in cases of gluten-related disorders (GRD), due to the risks associated with restrictive diets and food allergies. The objective of this study was to investigate and classify the prevalence of FN among Brazilian children aged 4 to 11 years with GRD. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire validated in Portuguese, with 25 items, assessed FN in three domains: general FN, FN of fruits, and FN of vegetables. Data were collected via Google Forms. Results: Of 209 children with GRD, the majority were female, 83.7% were diagnosed with celiac conditions, 81.3% followed a diet, and 43.1% had moderate total food neophobia. Brazilian children with GRD have a moderate prevalence of food neophobia. General and vegetable neophobia predominate, while fruit FN is lower. Girls exhibit greater neophobia towards vegetables. Conclusions: Neophobia does not vary with age, suggesting the persistence of the behavior and potential nutritional challenges in adult life. Differentiated attention to this population is essential to minimize long-term impacts.

This study assessed raw vegetable sanitizing in Brazilian schools and identified barriers to standards. This experimental and quantitative study was conducted in 12 school food services in the Federal District (Brazil) public primary education institutions. Microbiological analyses were conducted with vegetable samples (before and after sanitizing) and water used in the sanitization process, collected before the process. The Petrifilm^®E. coli/Coliform Count Plates and COLIlert methods were used to evaluate vegetables and water samples, and a checklist of good practices was applied in each school food service to identify barriers to proper sanitization. Thirty-five samples of raw vegetables were offered to students, 32 samples of water, and 17 hygiene processes were evaluated. The results indicate that 76.5% (n = 13) of hygiene processes were considered unsatisfactory, with an average increase of 5.8 log CFU g⁻¹ (DV = 7.4) in the initial microbial load in 47.1% (n = 8) of the evaluated processes; moreover, 33.3% (n = 6) of the samples exceeded the tolerable limit, with an average value above 1.5 × 10³ CFU/g. Attention to food handler training and necessary organizational changes is essential to ensure safe food and promote healthy student eating habits, highlighting the importance of strengthening basic hygiene practices and following the parameters for sanitizing vegetables.