NUFS 461 Final

goals of food service in health care

- adequate nutrition
- acceptable to the diner
- proper food safety and quality
- meets the budget

considerations in health care menu planning and food services

- audience (culture, religion, etc.)
- government legislation
- duration of stay
- budget
- availability of foods
- facilities available to produce
- food safety challenges
- transportation, food quality/quantity
- dining practices
- special diet requirements

the systems approach

a management tool that allows managers to see the interrelated parts of a complex food service operation and problem-solve

what is a system

collection of interrelated parts or subsystems unified by design to obtain one or more objectives

subsystem

complete system within itself, is part of a larger system; has established arrangements

open system

system that is permeable/influenced to the outside environment

closed system

no outside influence on a system

characteristics of an open system

interdependency of parts
dynamic equilibrium
equifinality
permeable boundaries
interface
hierarchy

interdependency of parts

parts of the system are interdependent of one another (rely on each other)

dynamic equilibrium

continuous response and adaptation of a system to its internal and external environment

equifinality

same or similar output can be achieved by using different inputs or by varying the transformation process

permeable boundaries

there is a relationship with the world around us

interface

area where two systems or subsystems come in contact with each other

hierarchy

characteristic of a system that is composed of subsystems of a lower order and a suprasystme of a higher order

organization of a system (basic)

input --> transformation --> output

inputs of the foodservice system

- human resources (labour, skill)
- materials (equipment)
- operational resources (utilities, information)
- facilities (space, equipment)

outputs of the foodservice system

- meal quantity and quality
- financial accountability
- customer and employee satisfaction

transformations of the foodservice system

- action or activity to change inputs into outputs
- management functions
- linking processes
- functional subsystems

parts of the expanded organization of a system

input, transformation, output, control , environmental factors, memory, feedback

control of the expanded organization of a system

1. ensures resources are used effectively and efficiently in accomplishing organizational objectives
2. ensure that the organization is functioning within legal and regulatory constraints
3. provide standards to be used in the evaluation of the system's operations

examples of a control

plans (goals and objectives, standards, policies), contracts, and laws and regulations

internal controls

within the same organization; consists of internal plans including: goals, objectives, standards, policies, procedures

external controls

consists of local, provincial, and federal regulations, as well as contracts or agreements with outside companies

memory of the expanded organization of a system

encompasses the historical records of the systems operations: personnel, forecasting, finances

environmental factors of the expanded organization of a system

occurs outside of the foodservice system BUT impact some component of the system: technological innovation, globalization, competition, politics, pandemics

feedback of the expanded organization of a system

includes a wide variety of processes by which a system receives information from its internal and external environment

mission statement

describes what a company does

onsite foodservice

food service operations in which sale of food is secondary to the goal of the organization; typically not-for-profit

stakehodler

individuals or groups who are significantly affected by or can significantly influence a company's decision

synergy

working together can create greater outcomes than working individually

unique characteristics of food production

- food demand occurs at peak times
- food demand may vary depending on time of year and competitive events
- food production and service are labour intensive
- food is perishable, requiring proper handling
- menus change on a daily basis, thus, production changes daily

the food process continuum

form of a food brought into a foodservice operation vary in the degree of pre-processing/preparation; foods can either be purchased raw or all the way up to full prepared menu items

four types of food services by flow

conventional/traditional, ready prepare, commissary, assembly/serve

conventional/traditional flow

foods are purchased in various stages of preparation for individual operation; production, distribution, and service are completed on same premises; foods held hot or refrigerated following production

types of tray service

centralized service, decentralized service

centralized tray service

individual patient trays assembled in or close to production area

decentralized service

distributed in bulk quantities for tray assembly close to patient's rooms

advantages of conventional flow

- menu flexibility
- food served soon after preparation
- high degree of quality
- traditional recipes can be used

disadvantages of conventional flow

- labour intensive
- consistency of final product
- higher food costs
- food safety

ready prepared flow

menu items produced and chilled or frozen until heated for service later; readily available at any time for final assembly and heating for service

methods of ready prepared flow

cook-chill, cook-freeze, sous vide

cook-chill method

partially cooked, rapidly chilled, held in chilled storage, reheated just prior to service

cook-freeze method

partially cooked, rapidly froze, held in freeze storage, reheated just prior to service

sous vide method

sealing raw, fresh food items in plastic pouches to allow chilled storage and then cooking in boiling water prior to service

advantages of ready prepared

- flexibility in scheduling food preparation
- lower labour costs

disadvantages of ready prepared

- menu variety is limited
- high initial capital investment
- perceived loss of quality
- recipe modification may be required
- food safety problems can affect large quantities of individuals if they occur

commissary flow

centralized procurement and production facilities with distribution of prepared menu items to several remote sites for final preparation and service; menu items delivered to remote sites hot or chilled or frozen for service when needed or scheduled

advantages of commissary flow

- lower food and supply costs
- purchasing power
- consistency
- ingredient and inventory control is improved
- lower labour costs
- flexibility in food preparation

disadvantages of commissary flow

- high initial capital investment
- requires more technically skilled employees
- job may be monotonous
- transportation costs need to be considered
- perceived loss of quality
- production staff distanced from diner

assembly/serve system

foods are purchased pre-prepared and require minimal cooking before service; food products brought into operation with maximum degree of processing/pre-prep

3 market forms of foods predominantly used in assemlby/serve oeprations

bulk, proportioned, pre-plated

advantages of assembly serve

- lower labour costs
- limited facility and equipment needs

disadvantages of assembly serve

- high food cost
- menu variety is limited
- availability of menu items can be limited
- perceived loss of quality

auditing

data collecting to support a comparison of what is actually happening to a defined standard for what should be happening

purpose of menu auditing

provide evidence to governments that their standards relating to food quality, portion sizes, and opportunities for adequate nutrition are being met

menu audit steps:

1. collect copy of facility cycle menu
2. review each day of menu separately
3. convert portion sizes into food guide servings
4. determine total number of food guide servings
5. calculate the serving if less than one full serving
6. for mixed dishes, analyze the dish and determine total number of servings
7. add up total number of food guide servings
8. compare total number of food guide servings to minimum recommendations of CFG
9. calculate audit score

total audit score calculation

number of days the food guide requirements were met / total number of menu days audited x 100

part a and part b of the menu audit

part a: quantitative; part b: qualitative

challenges of menu planning

- food preferences are highly personal
- there are very real constraints on food service operations

menu planning strategies

- plan as a team
- know the audience
- seek input
- create a standard menu with broad appeal
- offer options

what do menus have implications for

- how the operation will be organized and managed
- the type of facility that is needed
- the budget
- nutrient intakes for patients/residents

course

specific set of food items that are served at the same time over the "course" of the entire meal

typical composition of a 5 course meal

- appetizer (or hors d' oeuvres)
- soup or salad
- entree/main course
- side dishes
- fruit/dessert

types of menus: by frequency of change

static menu, daily menu, cycle menu

static menu

basically stays the same every day and are most typically used in quick service to upscale casual restaurants

daily menus

also known as single-use menus; change on a daily basis or may be planned for a special event with a one-time use

cycle menu

most often used in institutional foodservice operations that serve the same audience of diners over several days, weeks, months, or even years such as hospitals, long-term care, and schools

types of menus: by degrees of choice

nonselective, selective

nonselective menu

foods are presented and the diners must select from what is offered

selective menu

allows the diner to make choices or selections in advance of the meal service

types of menus: by pricing

a la carte, semi-a la carte, prix fixe, table d-hote

a la carte menu

all dishes are priced individually; includes side dishes, appetizers, soups, entree, and dessert

semi-a la carte menu

items are served together and priced as a combination

prix fixe menu

a menu that has a fixed price. there may be multiple options for each course, but ultimately, each guest will receive the same number of courses - usually an appetizer, salad or soup, entree, and desert

table d'hote menu

"the hosts table" and describes a menu where an entire meal is planned and priced in a way that is similar to a prix fixe menu; prices of individual entree items may vary

menu planning for children

- involve parents and guardians
- understand regulatory requirements that must be met
- modify the form and textures of foods as needed to suit developmental needs
- family style service is preferred if possible

menu planning for older adults

- fewer calories, but more nutritionally dense foods
- family style serve is preferred
- do not assume that food needs to be soft or pureed for all older adults

menu engineering

technique for analyzing menu sales; provides an evidence-based approach for menu items evaluation and menu changes relative to: popularity, and contribution of profit for a menu item

menu engineering categories

stars, plow-horses, puzzles, dogs

stars menu engineering category

profitable and popular

plow-horses menu engineering category

unprofitable but popular

puzzles menu engineering category

profitable but unpopular

dogs menu engineering category

unprofitable and unpopular; remove from menu unless there is a compelling reason or you have confidence profitability can change

contribution margin per menu item

the amount of money left after the product cost of the menu item is subtracted from the item's selling price

total contribution margin calculation

total contribution margin = total sales - total product costs

average contribution margin per item calculation

= total contribution margin / number of items sold

procurement

process of finding and agreeing to the terms of purchase; securing the food, supplies, and equipment needed by the transformation subsystem in the foodservice systems model. identifying potential suppliers, negotiating contracts, selecting supplier

procurement activities must:

- align with the menu
- consider budget
- tracks food moving in, through, and out of operation
- respect organizational policies, federal, and provincial legislation, and ethical consideration

product yield

how much we make, how much do we need to make

purchasing

follows procurement; actual act of buying goods and services

3 basic options for production of a menu item

1. produce item completely from raw foods
2. purchase some ingredients and assemble
3. purchase item in final form from wholesaler

value analysis

compare the cost of making versus cost of purchasing

specifications

list of detailed characteristics desired in a product for specific use

types of specifications

technical, approved brand, and performance specifications

technical specifications

aka quality specifications; describes the quality using objective or impartial test results; food grading - inspection, assessment and sorting of foods

approved brand specificatiosn

describes the foods required using specific brand names

performance specifications

describes quality in terms of a product's ability to perform in a desired way

elements of a specification

name of product or standard, federal grade/brand/other quality designation, size of container, count per container/approximate number per pound, unit on which price will be based, acceptable substitutions (if any)

methods of purchasing

informal and formal purchasing

buying methods

single sourcing, group purchasing, prime vendor agreements, just in time purchasing, centralized purchasing