Supply Chain Optimization in University Dining Halls: A Strategy for Food Waste Containment; [یزاسهنیهبهریجنزنیمأتردیاهیروخاذغ:یهاگشنادیدربهاریاربراهمتاعیاضییاذغ]



Mosallaei Z ; Haghighian Roudsari A ; Pouraram H ; Takian A
Source: Iranian Journal of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology Published:2026

Abstract

Background and aims: Food waste in higher education institutions not only intensifies environmental crises but also squanders a large portion of government welfare subsidies. This policy brief was developed to identify the systemic drivers of food waste in universities and to propose macro-and intersectoral policy options for resource management. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted through a review of documents and the qualitative analysis of data derived from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 key stakeholders (including university managers, contractors, chefs, and service personnel), alongside focus group discussions with students from both public and Islamic Azad universities in the Tehran metropolis. Results: The primary drivers of waste generation on both the supply and demand sides encompass managerial barriers, operational factors, behavioral challenges, unforeseeable circumstances, and consumer-related variables. Preventing the depletion of public resources in higher education necessitates the implementation of a time-bound policy package and immediate action across five key domains: 1) legally mandating the inclusion of waste reduction key performance indicators (KPIs) in university budgets and contracts; 2) prioritizing the enhancement of food sensory quality; 3) transitioning from rigid traditional procurement to adaptable, quality-centric contracts; 4) establishing economic deterrent mechanisms in university dining halls alongside the redistribution of subsidies; and 5) allocating specific funds for the modernization and industrialization of culinary equipment. Conclusion: Containing the food waste crisis in universities requires policymakers to move beyond consumer blaming and fundamentally re-engineer the supply chain, shifting from a passive paradigm of purely quantitative provisioning toward sustainability models. The persistence of this traditional perspective will inevitably lead to the irreversible erosion of economic and environmental resources. © 2026, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute. All rights reserved.