Abstract

Introduction: The main function of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is to prepare and distribute food in hospitals, following established nutritional guidelines, which directly influence the food supply chain. In this context, international organizations such as the UN and FAO promote the adoption of sustainable practices aimed at minimizing the use of natural resources and the generation of waste in FNS. Objective: To describe sustainable practices according to types of Food and Nutrition Services in Chilean hospitals. Methodology: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using a 43-question survey previously validated by experts, distributed online and aimed at nutritionists with experience in FNS. Results: Of a total of 66 HFS evaluated, 62.1% are concentrated in the Metropolitan Region and 80.3% correspond to services of maximum complexity. Only 36.4% comply with sustainable practices according to the established criteria. Regarding water use, only 48.5% comply, while for liquid waste disposal there is greater compliance, but not so for preventive maintenance of equipment and the use of electricity, where the results are more worrying. Ninety-seven percent use single-use cardboard and plastic disposables, and we observed a low level of recovery of waste generated in the production process. The main barriers identified to the implementation of sustainable practices include the lack of time for nutritionists to monitor processes (45.5%) and low awareness among food handlers (43.9%). Conclusion: Hospital food service units in Chile need to improve environmental management through training, monitoring, and institutional commitment. Nutritionists play a key role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in this context. © (2025), (Asociacion Espanola de Dietistas-Nutricionistas). All rights reserved.