Analiz Riska Zdorovʹû (Mar 2020)

Analyzing nutrition rations at pre-school children facilities in a large industrial city in Russia

  • D.N. Lir,
  • A.Ya. Perevalov,
  • N.V. Tapeshkina,
  • A.V. Sherstobitova,
  • E.A. Misharina

DOI
https://doi.org/10.21668/health.risk/2020.1.05.eng
Journal volume & issue
no. 1
pp. 52 – 58

Abstract

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Our research goal was to assess nutrition rations (menus) offered to children at pre-school children facilities after they had raised the costs of their services. We performed hygienic assessment of cycle menus in order to establish whether they conformed to the existing standards; the assessment was performed in 28 pre-school children facilities in different districts of a large Russian city. All the calculations were made with our own software program called “Menu” that contained a database on a chemical structure of food products and product charts for dishes and culinary products. Model menus offered to children at pre-school children facilities were able to satisfy their needs in macro-nutrients (by 102–127 %), vitamins (by 102–176 %), and minerals (by 102–162%). However, vegetable fats were not provided in sufficient quantities (20 %). We revealed that there was a deficiency of certain products in a ration and it amounted to 10 % regarding vegetables and wheat flour; more than 20 %, potatoes; more than 30%, sour milk drinks and vegetable oil. We also revealed that there were discrepancies between a stated quantity of a product and its actual provision in a ration or dishes and culinary products were not provided in a quantity stated in an official menu; sometimes the same dishes were offered to children for two days. Greater payments made by parents to a pre-school facility for taking care of their children didn’t result in better nutrition provided by such facilities. Our research results revealed that any sanitary-epidemiologic surveillance aimed at preventing risks of alimentary de-pendent diseases should concentrate on eliminating deficiency of certain products (sources of essential nutrients such as animal proteins, vegetable fats, food fiber, and vitamins). Optimizing nutrition in pre-school facilities will require certain social and preventive activities.

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