Procurement, Production, Distribution and Services

Competitive Bidding

Involves putting out a request for proposal (REF) for food items

Formal bids for a contract period

Food vendors then bid on proposal price by providing food prices, food specifications and other terms required by the proposal

Helps an organization get the lowest price for the best product

Government organization are sometimes required to do this type of bidding

Food Specifications

Imp because it describes or specifies food needs and requirements like size, grading, brand, quality of the food

This helps ensure that what is desired is received and decreases doubts

Open Market Bidding

Simpler and less time-consuming process (Buy at current market price)

Purchaser simply orders food and quantities needed based on the quoted prices from vendor

Purchaser can have several vendors or change the vendor depending on better price and better quality

Product specifications

Food Grade: indicates a product’s quality, condition, and appearance. Commonly used in animal products and some plant foods

Desirable qualities: when ordering fruits and vegetables, do look at the firmness, bright green or red color or whatever qualities that ensures the produce is fresh

Canned good: look at the quality of cans, size and count of cans when order is received.

Fat content of dairy: dairy products need to list this b/c those products can be classified as whole, skim, low-fat.

Food grading

voluntary quality classification system (in the U.S.) that indicates a product’s quality, condition, and appearance, not its safety. Commonly used for animal and some plant foods.

Meat: USDA grades meat based on tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.

• Beef: Prime, Choice, Select

• Lamb & Veal: Prime, Choice, Good

Poultry: Graded by USDA based on appearance and defects.

• Grades: A, B, C

• Grade A is typically sold at retail.

Eggs: Graded by USDA based on shell quality and interior quality.

• Grades: AA, A, B

Grain Products: Graded for quality and condition.

• Wheat, Rice, Corn, Oats

Group Purchasing

Decreases food price because of increased order volume

The entities are not related so it is not and centralized purchasing

Prime Vendor

One who is selected to provide majority of food items or products for a restaurant or an organization

B/c vendor is selected for a longer time period, there can be some financial advantage like some percent reduced pricing for the items

Ethical boundaries from purchasing and vending

Relationship b/w buyer and vendor must remain professional

Buyer should never accept any gifts from vendor as it can be seen as bribe to ensure the continuation of purchasing

Buyer must always consider cost and quality of the product and the needs of the organization

Factors that impact Food Purchasing process

Food preparation, time, cost and storage influence purchasing decision

Frozen products will need ample space for storage but can be used for longer and bulk purchase can cause a reduction in food cost and food waste

Fresh meats and vegetables / fruits require refrigerator space and fresh produce can be expensive so do look at budget first

Size / type of produce matters like if we order whole foods, more labor and time will be needed for food prep so if possible to order pre-cut or pre-sliced food then do that. Consider cost, storage, labor and customer expectation.

Checklist when Receiving Food Shipments

Compare ordered items to the items received

Look at invoice to see the ordered items and the prices

Different equipment required:

• Forklift for large deliveries

• Handcart to more smaller boxes

• Box cutters to open boxes

• Thermometer to check temperature of refrigerated items that should be maintained (should be below 40’ F)

Frozen items should be frozen upon arrival and should be immediately stored

Blind check Method

Check items against original purchase order before accepting the order or the receiver may inspect and count each individual item to make sure vendor sent the right amount (nothing more or less)

Types of Food Storage

• Dry storage: to maintain optimal environment, food storage area must be well-ventilated and cool with controlled humidity. Never put food on the floor or against walls. Have oldest items in front and new in the back to reduce food waste

• Refrigerators: store items that are typically held at 40 F. Separate refrigerator if different temperatures are needed for storage.

  • Fresh veggies and fruits at 40-45 F.

  • Dairy, meat and eggs at 32-40 F.

• Freezers: required for frozen food items. Temperature held at 0 - -10 F. Thermometer should be placed inside to monitor temperatures.

Food preservation and Packing Techniques

• Freezing

• Drying and dehydrating

• Canning

• Freeze drying

• Vacuum packaging

Freezing

Common method to preserve food

Can destroy or significantly slow growth of microorganisms

• Vegetables are blanched before freezing to eliminate microbes and to preserve color

• Fruits are too delicate to blanch and the acid in them prevent microbes but they are washed and then frozen to avoid any microbial growth

Food drying and dehydrating

Reduces water content of food to help preserve it for longer

Low moisture content slows microbial growth

Ex: Beef jerky meat and dried fruits

Canning

High heat is used to kill microorganisms for longer preservation

These products are shelf-stable for long time period

Ex: canned fruits and vegetables, beans and other items

Freeze drying

preservation method which involves freezing food first and then drying to remove moisture

Ex: instant coffee

Vacuum Packaging

removes majority of oxygen from package which inhibits growth of microorganisms

Ex: fish, fruits, coffee beans

FIFO

First in First out

Oldest food items are used first to reduce food wastage

Purpose of Inventory Management Systems

Just like items received, items removed should be recorded as well after authorization

Proper system helps with cost control

Minimum and maximum inventory must be kept in stock

If an item is below par level then requisition form is filled to request to place order for that item

Perpetual inventory

A record of items used, in storage and items removed

Requisition form

Used to request food and supplies for the inventory

Benefits of Technology in Inventory Management

Tech is more accurate, save time and makes it possible to monitor and manage inventory in different locations

It makes it easy to view how much inventory is in storage, where it is located and what should be reordered

Technology can also assist with invoicing, reordering and valuing inventory

Causes of Inventory Discrepancies

Requisition form not filled in for a food item that was required to reorder

Not recording when a food item was removed from inventory

Supply room being unlocked for unauthorized access

Someone intended to record the removal of the item later but forgot to do so

“ Sometimes it is better to count inventory manually to make sure everything matches with the online inventory list”

Dispersion

Mixture of substances

Can be classified by the state of matter (solid, liquid, gas) and the particle size

Can be changed in variety of ways by applying heat (cooking) and freezing

Types: Colloidal dispersion, true solutions

Ex: Mayo (liquid in liquid), sponge cake (gas in solid)

True Solution

Type of dispersion that contains smallest particles

Ex: Salt completely dissolves in water

Colloidal Solution

Type of dispersion that contains medium-sized particles

Ex: Jelly

Emulsion

A type of Colloidal dispersion

It is dispersion of two liquids

Ex: Mayo made of oil in water; Butter is water in oil emulsion

Function of Acid in Cooking

Foods with low pH (high acidity) are less likely to have microbial growth as compared to high pH ( low acidity)

Fruits are more acidic than vegetables due to which vegetables are first blanched and then frozen or brought to 212 F before canned

Fruits are washed properly and then frozen (no extreme heat required due to higher acidity)

Acids play a role in food appearance as heat from cooking causes its release which dulls that color of the vegetable (green color of green beans canned or fresh becomes dull brownish)

Blanching

Submersion of vegetables in boiling water following by ice water

Food service equipment

Type of cooking equipment effects the cooking process, speed of cooking and quality of final product

Follows conduction heat principles (utensil / pan gets hot and transfers heat to the food present inside it)

Ex: Copper and iron are good conductors of heat as compared to glass

Heat Transfer of cooking equipment

Oven transfers heat in enclosed space

Convection oven uses air circulation to transfer heat evenly in the oven as compared to conventional ovens

Convection oven makes the cooking process faster

Heat Radiation does not required food to come in direct contact with heat source

Ex: Microwave heating can inconsistent which can be seen in the final product

Cooking is often a combination of conduction, convection and radiation heat transfer

Genetically Modified Foods

DNA of food is changed by processes that do not occur naturally to get the desired outcome

Ex: corn, soybean, zucchini

Benefits: foods are nutrient dense, increase crop production and lower cost

Concerns: Lack of understanding and lack of proven safety

GMO foods must be labelled clearly

Standardized Recipes

Helps ensure food quality and consistency regardless of who is preparing the food

Chain restaurants use this method as it has clear directions because quality product is expected with each production

Also helps in forecasting ingredient control and overall cost control

Ingredients amount, product yield and specific step by step directions are noted along with any variations of the recipe

Importance of Food Portion Control and Recipe Yield

In large-scale food service operation, it is essential to anticipate the product yield and to control portions

Helps to make sure enough food is made for customers with minimum food waste

Along with standardized recipe, portion size must be noted

Forecasting in Food service industry

An attempt to anticipate what is going to happen in future and make plans accordingly

restaurant should know how many customers they can get and what food is mostly ordered to make sure adequate ingredients and work staff is available

• Historical data: use data from the past to predict future sales; works well when there are no major fluctuations in day-today or week-to-week business

• Computer modelling can help forecast with greater accuracy and also focuses on seasonality and other influences

Food Production Planning

Key to success especially in large-scale food service operations

Kitchen staff must know what to do and when to start the food prep to make sure everything is prepared on schedule

Timing is essential as if food is prepared too early, it will effect the quality and food safety. Delayed service can effect the schedule for entire day and can cause customer dissatisfaction

Food Production Systems

• Conventional

• Commissary

• Ready-prepared

• Assembly-serve

• Cook-chill

• Display cooking

Conventional Food Production System

Food is prepared and served at the same location

Ensure maximized food quality and more flexibility if food choices

This production system is labor intensive (needs more staff / labor)

Ex: Restaurants, hospitals, schools

Commissary Food Production System

Food is purchased and prepared in a central location and then transported to other locations

Food produced may be frozen, chilled or held hot prior to transport

This helps control cost of different kitchens and production staff

Disadvantages include delivery challenges, logistics and to make sure food is kept at safe temperature (food safety) and not is danger zone (between 41°F and 135°F)

Ex: Large schools and hospital systems

Ready-prepared Food Production System

Food is prepared on site and held for later use

Depending on length of time between food prep and serve time (days or weeks) food is frozen or chilled

Diff from commissary as food is not served immediately but is prepared on site

Assembly-serve Food Production System

No on-site food production

Prepared food is purchase and facility only assemble, heat and serve the food

Display cooking Food Production System

One can see the food being prepared in front of them

Popular method used in fancy restaurants these days

Food prep is completed in advance and food is cooked in front of customers

Can be a temporary and transportable or permanent built-in display units

Types of Food Delivery Services

• Centralized

• Decentralized

Centralized Food Delivery Service

Common in hospital food service setting

Food is place on tray at one centralized location usually kitchen and trays are then transported to patients

Heated or refrigerated carts or insulated trays are used to main food temperature during delivery

Decentralized Food Delivery Service

Food is prepared in the kitchen and transported to the customer / patients before plating

Once food arrives, it is reheated, plated and then delivered to customer

Depending on the distance of food travel, this method may provide more desirable food but can be expensive as more labor and equipment at each location to reheat the food will be needed

Role of equipment and packaging in delivery of meals

Delivery system is used in commissary food production system

Type of equipment used and food packaging help with food delivery and food safety problems

Mobile pans with lids are used for cooking and then can be easily transported as well

Insulated carriers are used to maintain proper food temperature during transport when food is hot or frozen

Cook-chill Food Production method

Food is cooked and then chilled very quickly using a blast chiller to use food for a later day