Evaluation of the Emergency Meal Kitchen Menus Meeting the Daily Nutritional Requirements ^†

Abstract

On 6 February 2023, two major and subsequent aftershocks were experienced in Kahramanmaraş in Türkiye. In these earthquakes, disasters occurred in the provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Gaziantep, Osmaniye, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman and Kilis. More than 40,000 people lost their lives. The day after the earthquakes, disaster/emergency kitchens were created in these cities through the initiatives of various institutions and organizations. One of these kitchens is “Anadolu Cuisine”, where Anadolu University operated until 2023. Every day, approximately 15,000 people benefited from the emergency kitchen located in the Belen district of Hatay. In the study, the task of meeting the daily requirements of adults who eat at this kitchen was evaluated. For this, the breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus served in the emergency kitchen were followed on site by the researcher for a week, examining the amounts offered to one person. Then, the energy and nutritional values of the menus were calculated using the nutrition information system. Then, these values were evaluated using the Türkiye Nutrition Guide 2022 reference values. As a result, the energy intake of adults fed from the emergency kitchen was found to be sufficient; it has been determined that the recommended daily intake of important minerals and vitamins such as calcium and vitamin E, D, C cannot be met. In addition, it has been observed that the daily water consumption of individuals is insufficient. Moreover, to all these factors, it has been understood that those with chronic diseases have difficulties in accessing the special foods they need. In such crisis situations, it is recommended to develop strategies for community nutrition and to implement them with immediate coordination.