The present study aims at analyzing educational approaches in the training of public school cafeteria staff members from 1956 to 1994 through the study 17 instructions brochures developed by Instituto de Nutrição Annes Dias in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. The analysis of the documents has considered two periods: the first one, from 1956 to 1971, is characterized by the foundation of the institute and its first training activities; the second period goes from 1972 to 1994, which is characterized by the consolidation of the institute's organizational structure and the presence of educational concepts in its training activities. Training focused on technical aspects and recurrently alluded to hygiene and organization. Discussions on the training of school cafeteria staff members should define what kind of workers is expected before defining what skills and abilities they are expected to develop.
public school cafeteria staff members; education and labor; history of nutrition; public school cafeteria policies