The establishment, implementation and impact of the Meals Program for Worlkers (MPW) were evaluated in a total of 130 industries in the state of Pernambuco (Northeast Brazil). Of these, 85 had been enrolled in the Program from 1977 to 1980 (experimental group) and 45 had not (control group). The reasons for the implantation or not of the Program, as well as the health conditions, the industrial-accident, absenteeism and turn-over rates among employees, were determined, taking into consideration the economic activity and the size of the industries. In the experimental group the analysis was made from one year before the enrolment in the Program and covered industries which had enjoyed the benefits of 1, 2, 3 or 4 years of fiscal incentive. The data for the control group were collected in 1980 only and were used as a parameter for the evaluation of the impact indicators of the Program. The analysis of the menus suggests that a small number of industries were serving meals in accordance with the minimal amounts of energy and protein recommended by the Law n.° 6.321/76, that is, a minimum of 1,400 cal and NDPcal% higher than 6. The increase in the price of the meal/employee was also determined for the same period of time. It has been demonstrated that government incentives were the motivation for the industries' participation in the Program and that a high percentage of these industries already offered meals to their employees before the Program began. Ignorance of the Law and the administrative indecision were among the reasons for the non-implementation of the Program. A significant number of employees in both groups received less than two legal minimum salaries although the industries of the experimental group offered higher wages to their employees. The analysis of the impact indicators in both groups leads to the conclusion that the number of industrial accidents, health conditions and turn-over rate among employees have remained unchanged, but absenteeism had been reduced by the Program.
Nutrition programs; Evaluation Studies; Workers