Dominant factors and food waste reduction strategies in hospitals: A systematic literature review

Afrizal Afrizal* -  Master of Science in Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia
Fajar Ari Nugroho -  Master of Science in Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia
Irma Sarita Rahmawati -  Master of Science in Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia
Tita Septi Handayani -  Universitas Dehasen Bengkulu, Indonesia
DOI : 10.30867/action.v11i2.3209

Food waste in hospitals is a critical issue because of its economic, environmental, and nutritional service implications. Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the dominant factors influencing food waste, particularly those related to food quality, patient characteristics, and the delivery of services. This study aimed to identify the dominant determinants of hospital food waste and analyze strategies for reducing it. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The review included 30 national and international articles published between 2020 and 2025, retrieved from Scopus and ScienceDirect based on pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings indicate that hospital food waste is a multifactorial phenomenon influenced by internal and external factors. Food quality, particularly taste and appearance, emerged as the most frequently reported determinant, followed by patient-related factors such as appetite and clinical condition and service-related factors including staff interaction and food distribution systems. Food waste reduction strategies include improving food quality, implementing waste monitoring systems, enhancing staff competency, and optimizing menu planning according to patient preferences.

Keywords : Food waste, life cycle assessment (LCA), nutrition management system, patient satisfaction

  1. Aditya, E. L., Gunardi, W. D., & Fushen, F. (2023). Pengaruh kualitas layanan makanan dan kualitas produk makanan terhadap sisa makanan yang dimediasi oleh kepuasan pasien akan service mix makanan: Studi pada pasien rawat inap Rumah Sakit UKRIDA di Jakarta. Jurnal Manajemen dan Administrasi Rumah Sakit Indonesia, 7(2), 160–172. https://doi.org/10.52643/marsi.v7i2.3039
  2. Ambarwati, M., Noor, H. L., & Listyorini, P. I. (2024). Pengaruh faktor internal dan eksternal terhadap sisa makanan pasien rawat inap kelas III RSUD dr. Soetarto Gemolong Kabupaten Sragen pada bulan Juni 2024. Jurnal Dinamika Kesehatan Terpadu, 5(4). https://ijurnal.com/1/index.php/jdkt/article/view/196/198
  3. Anggraini, K. D., & Sholichah, R. M. (2023). Hubungan kepuasan penampilan makanan dengan sisa makanan menu sayur pada pasien rawat inap kelas III di Rumah Sakit Kristen Mojowarno. Seminar Publikasi Ilmiah Kesehatan Nasional, 2(3), 775–780. http://spikesnas.khkediri.ac.id/SPIKesNas/index.php/MOO/article/view/177/111
  4. Ariefah, M. F., & Sari, D. K. P. (2024). Hubungan rasa dan waktu penyajian makanan serta sisa makanan lunak pada pasien RSUD Dr. R. Koesma Tuban. SEHATMAS: Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan Masyarakat, 3(4), 814–821. https://doi.org/10.55123/sehatmas.v3i4.4179
  5. Budianingsih, N. N., Gumala, N. M. Y., & Tamam, B. (2025). Hubungan sisa makanan pasien berdasarkan cita rasa makanan dan penampilan makanan di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Bangli. Jurnal Ilmu Gizi: Journal of Nutrition Science, 14(3), 157–167. https://ejournal.poltekkes-denpasar.ac.id/index.php/JIG/article/view/3407.
  6. Cook, N., Collins, J., Goodwin, D., & Porter, J. (2022). Factors influencing implementation of food and food-related waste audits in hospital foodservices. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, Article 1062619. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.1062619
  7. Cook, N., Goodwin, D., Porter, J., & Collins, J. (2023). Food and food-related waste management strategies in hospital food services: A systematic review. Nutrition & Dietetics, 80(2), 116–142. https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12768
  8. Dalimunthe, N. K., Edwin, R., & Pratiwi, T. A. (2023). Faktor yang berhubungan dengan sisa makanan pada pasien diabetes melitus di Rumah Sakit Imanuel Lampung. Darussalam Nutrition Journal, 7(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.21111/dnj.v7i1.9935
  9. Dewi, N. R. M. (2023). Studi sisa makanan dan tingkat kepuasan pasien terhadap pelayanan makanan di ruang rawat inap kelas III RSUD Gambiran Kota Kediri. Jurnal Gizi Unesa, 3(4), 457–463. https://ejournal.unesa.ac.id/index.php/GIZIUNESA/article/view/58313
  10. Handayani, A., & Srimiati, M. (2021). Hubungan faktor makanan dan lingkungan dengan sisa makanan lunak pasien dewasa kelas 2 dan 3 ruang rawat inap Rumah Sakit GRHA Permata Ibu Kota Depok. Jurnal Andaliman: Jurnal Gizi Pangan, Klinik dan Masyarakat, 1(1), 22–29. https://doi.org/10.24114/jgpkm.v1i1.24921
  11. Hartati, Y., Telisa, I., & Siregar, A. (2022). Karakteristik pasien, preferensi, penampilan, rasa makanan, dan sisa makanan biasa di rumah sakit Kota Palembang. Jurnal Pustaka Padi: Pusat Akses Kajian Pangan dan Gizi, 1(2), 51–56. https://www.jurnal.pustakagalerimandiri.co.id/index.php/pustakapadi/article/view/293
  12. Hoteit, M., Antar, E., Malli, D., Fattouh, F., Khattar, M., Baderddine, N., El Cheikh, J., Chalak, A., Abiad, M. G., & Hassan, H. F. (2024). A review on hospital food waste quantification, management, and assessment strategies in the eastern Mediterranean region. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 15, Article 100959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100959
  13. Joubert, R.-L., & Jokonya, O. (2021). A systematic literature review of factors affecting the adoption of technologies in food waste management. Procedia Computer Science, 181, 1034–1040. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2021.01.298
  14. Judijanto, L., & Wasaraka, Y. N. K. (2026). Manajemen makanan dan gizi. PT Sonpedia Publishing Indonesia.
  15. Lestari, R. H., Ayuningtyas, P. R., Pratiwi, A. A., & Prasetyo, A. (2023). Analysis of food waste on food service satisfaction in inpatients at the Jemursari Islam Hospital Surabaya. Media Gizi Kesmas, 12(2), 937–946. https://doi.org/10.20473/mgk.v12i2.2023.937-946
  16. Leiblein, G., Tucker, M. P., & Hofer, S. (2019). Factors influencing the occurrence of food waste in the food service process in hospitals–a literature review. In Research Papers For The 18th Eurofm Research Symposium (pp. 106-115). EuroFM. https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/16186/
  17. Loditha, C. P. (2023). Hubungan ketepatan waktu distribusi dan mutu makanan terhadap sisa makanan pada jadwal makan siang penderita gastritis rawat inap di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Inche Abdoel Moeis. Jurnal Multidisiplin Indonesia, 2(8), 2203–2212. https://doi.org/10.58344/jmi.v2i8.437
  18. Mahmoudifar, K., Raeesi, A., Kiani, B., & Rezaie, M. (2025). Food waste in hospitals: Implications and strategies for reduction: A systematic review. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 36(1), 50–71. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-07-2023-0221
  19. Marina, M., Nailufar, F., & Wahyunigrum, D. R. (2024). Hubungan tingkat kepuasan penyajian dan pelayanan makanan terhadap sisa makanan pasien rawat inap. Jurnal Gizi Kerja dan Produktivitas, 5(1), 6–11. https://doi.org/10.62870/jgkp.v5i1.25136
  20. Mumpuni, E., & Saniyah, M. U. (2021). Analisis food waste pasien rawat inap di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Ibnu Sina Kabupaten Gresik. Ghidza Media Jurnal, 3(1), 202–206. https://doi.org/10.30587/ghidzamediajurnal.v3i1.3106
  21. Muntaqoh, C. D. (2025). Faktor jumlah sisa makanan bubur halus pada pasien ruang Bougenville 4 RSUD dr. Soegiri Lamongan [Undergraduate thesis, Universitas Muhammadiyah Gresik]. http://eprints.umg.ac.id/id/eprint/13852
  22. Nawarathna, N., Bodhirathne, B. A. K., Iddamalgoda, I., Jayamaha, J., Jayathilake, S., & Priyanthi, W. N. (2024). Determinant Factors of Hospital Food Waste in Surgical and Medical Wards at the Teaching Hospital, Kuliyapitiya. Sliit-Rda. Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology. https://rda.sliit.lk/bitstreams/df6eab62-be94-4e26-b204-b1c57f3a768b/download
  23. Nila, K. F., & Sarita, R. I. (2025). Food waste reduction strategies in hospitals. Jurnal Kesehatan, 16(3), 31–43. https://doi.org/10.35730/jk.v16i3.1319
  24. Parlina, S. U., & Herat, S. (2024). Hospital food waste: Contributing factors of waste generation and strategy for waste minimization. Environmental Science & Sustainable Development, 9(1), 57–71. https://doi.org/10.21625/essd.v9i1.1055
  25. Porter, J., & Collins, J. (2021). A qualitative study exploring hospital food waste from the patient perspective. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 53(5), 410–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2020.10.008
  26. Prasetiyo, B. D. (2023). Manajemen limbah makanan rumah sakit melalui pemanfaatan biokonversi black soldier fly (BSF). Yayasan Haqqi Internasional Edukasi.
  27. Putricia, D., Yuliantini, E., & Wahyudi, A. (2023). Faktor eksternal berpengaruh dengan sisa makanan nabati dan sayur pada diet makanan biasa dan lunak di RSUD Harapan dan Doa Kota Bengkulu. JGK: Jurnal Gizi dan Kesehatan, 3(2), 152–163. https://doi.org/10.36086/jgk.v3i2.1739
  28. Qurrotaa'yun, S., & Ekorinawati, W. (2021). Hubungan Cita Rasa Makanan dan Konsumsi Makanan Dari Luar Rumah Sakit Terhadap Sisa Makanan Pada Pasien Rawat Inap Di Rsud Dr. Moewardi. Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta. https://eprints.ums.ac.id/95540/
  29. Rinninella, E., Raoul, P., Maccauro, V., Cintoni, M., Cambieri, A., Fiore, A., Zega, M., Gasbarrini, A., & Mele, M. C. (2023). Hospital services to improve nutritional intake and reduce food waste: A systematic review. Nutrients, 15(2), Article 310. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15020310
  30. Ronitawati, P., Fujima, M., Sitoayu, L., Sa’pang, M., & Dewanti, L. P. (2021). Hubungan tingkat kepuasan dan kualitas pelayanan makanan terhadap biaya sisa makanan dan zat gizi yang hilang pada pasien di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Koja Jakarta. Gizi Indonesia, 44(1), 77–86. https://doi.org/10.36457/gizindo.v44i1.527
  31. Sartika, H. A., & Saimi, S. (2025). Analysis of hospital food services to improve food intake among inpatients. Malahayati International Journal of Nursing and Health Science, 8(6), 694–705. https://doi.org/10.33024/minh.v8i6.740
  32. Septidiantari, L. P. Y., Padmiari, I. A. E., & Ariati, N. N. (2022). Faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi terjadinya sisa makanan pada pasien rawat inap di RSUD Bangli. Jurnal Ilmu Gizi: Journal of Nutrition Science, 11(1), 15–21. https://doi.org/10.33992/jig.v11i1.1172
  33. Sumardilah, D. S. (2022). Analisis sisa makanan pasien rawat inap rumah sakit. Jurnal Kesehatan, 13(1), 101–109. https://doi.org/10.26630/jk.v13i1.3032
  34. Torrejón-Ramos, M., Medina-Salgado, M.-S., & Ortiz-de-Urbina-Criado, M. (2025). A scoping review on reducing food waste and loss in hospitals. Gaceta Sanitaria, 39, Article 102462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaceta.2025.102462
  35. Trisnawati, Y., & Anasari, T. (2024). Korelasi lingkungan dan makanan dari luar rumah sakit dengan sisa makanan di RSU Aghisna Medika Kroya. Ensiklopedia of Journal, 6(2), 282–287. https://doi.org/10.33559/eoj.v6i2.2161
  36. Veterini, A. S. (2025). Pengaruh jumlah sisa makanan pasien rawat inap terhadap status gizi pasien, kualitas layanan sumber daya manusia, dan efisiensi biaya di RS Universitas Airlangga [Master’s thesis, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya]. Repositori Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya. https://repository.um-surabaya.ac.id/id/eprint/10561
  37. Wahyuningrum, D. R., & Girsang, D. R. (2026). Manajemen rantai pasok dan intervensi gizi dalam upaya pengurangan food waste di berbagai konteks layanan pangan. Jurnal Sains dan Kesehatan, 7(1), 53–58. https://doi.org/10.30872/jsk.v7i1.893
  38. Wijayanti, R., Lisnawati, L., & Rinaldi, E. A. (2026). Analisis faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan sisa makanan dan estimasi biaya pemborosan makanan pada pasien rawat inap kelas III di RS Bhayangkara Tk. I Pusdokkes Polri Jakarta tahun 2025. Borneo Nursing Journal, 8(1), 1316–1330. https://doi.org/10.61878/bnj.v8i1.338
  39. Yanti, I. Y., Prapanca, Y., & Nugroho, D. (2025). Faktor yang berhubungan dengan sisa makanan sebagai perilaku makan pasien yang dirawat inap di RS Bhayangkara Mohamad Hasan Palembang. Jurnal Manajemen dan Administrasi Rumah Sakit Indonesia, 9(3), 368–381. https://doi.org/10.52643/marsi.v9i3.6642
  40. Yudismara, M. P., & Rahma, A. (2025). Efektivitas edukasi gizi terhadap kepatuhan diet dan sisa makanan pasien diabetes melitus di RS Muhammadiyah Gresik. Antigen: Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat dan Ilmu Gizi, 3(4), 168–177. https://doi.org/10.57213/antigen.v3i4.912
  41. Yumna, A. H., Ulfa, M., Razalli, N. H., Rajikan, R., Akca, N., & Saygili, M. (2025). Evaluation of food waste in the nutrition installation at PKU Muhammadiyah Gamping Yogyakarta Hospital. Jurnal Kesehatan Lingkungan Indonesia, 24(2), 243–250. https://doi.org/10.14710/jkli.71214
  42. Zulfikar, S. (2025). Manajemen strategis kesehatan: Inovasi era disrupsi digital. AMU Press.

Open Access Copyright (c) 2026 Afrizal, Fajar Ari Nugroho, Irma Sarita Rahmawati, Tita Septi Handayani
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

AcTion: Aceh Nutrition Journal
Published by: Department of Nutrition at the Health Polytechnic of Aceh, Ministry of Health.
Soekarno-Hatta Street, No. 168. Health Polytechnic of Aceh, Aceh Besar, 23352. Telp/Fax: 0651 46126 / 0651 46121.
Website: https://gizipoltekkesaceh.ac.id/
E-mail: jurnal6121@gmail.com

e-issn: 2548-5741, p-issn: 2527-3310

All content is licensed under a: Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0 International License

View My Stats

Get a feed by atom here, RRS2 here and OAI Links here