Analysis of hotspots and emerging trends in school foodservice research using CiteSpace.

Background/objectives: The school foodservice is a facility that offers catering services to students and exerts a significant influence on their well-being and academic performance. Hence, it is crucial to comprehend the present global research status and development trends of school foodservice over the last decade, investigate their future direction of progress and enhancement strategies, offer guidance to school canteen managers and policymakers, and foster the wholesome advancement of school foodservice.

Materials/methods: The Web of Science^TM (WoS) core collection was utilized as the data source to search for publications pertaining to the topics of school foodservices, school meals, and school foodservice/cafeterias. Subsequently, the CiteSpace software, a widely used tool for the visual exploration of scientific literature, was used for a visual study of the literature published on the topic.

Results: A total of 1,500 papers published between the years 2013 and 2023 were selected from the WoS core collection and analyzed using CiteSpace. The research findings indicated that the primary areas of interest since 2013 in overseas research on school foodservice were centered around concerns regarding food quality, food waste, operational models including new methods and the correlation between coronavirus pneumonia and other related factors.

Conclusion: Future studies should focus on the utilization of emerging technologies, global efforts, and the development and implementation of policies and regulations on food safety in school foodservice. This will offer both theoretical backing and practical direction for advancing the sustainable development of school foodservice.