Sustainability Initiatives at AZ Sint Maria Halle

AZ Sint Maria Halle: Sustainability in the Kitchen

Patrick Blockmans, Head of Foodservice & Central Kitchen at AZ Sint Maria Halle, delivered a presentation on sustainability initiatives on April 5, 2025. The hospital, situated south of Brussels, caters to a diverse demographic, including environmentally conscious families from the rural Pajottenland region, multicultural "New Belgians" with varied culinary preferences, and Italian-speaking laborers. While the hospital operates in Dutch, it communicates with patients in French and English to ensure comprehensive care.

Hospital and Healthcare Context

Belgian hospitals are predominantly public, offering universal healthcare insurance, although private hospitalization insurance is also common. Medical care prices are standardized, ensuring maximum costs for consultations and surgeries. Doctors function independently, while hospital staff are employed amidst a shortage of nurses and caretakers, which occasionally leads to ward closures.

Patient Information

The average hospital stay lasts approximately three days, a significant reduction from the eight to ten days observed two decades ago. Long-stay patients primarily consist of geriatric and psychiatric cases, necessitating tailored approaches based on specific hospital services. Regional hospitals typically see around 50% of patients over the age of 75, with more specialized cases being referred to larger university hospitals. Day-hospital settings are becoming increasingly prevalent due to their lower costs.

Patient Meals

Approximately 280 patients receive three meals daily, totaling around 350,000 meals annually. The kitchen employs a cook & chill system, operating five days a week with a maximum 72-hour window between production and consumption. Chefs work exclusively on weekdays, with centralized portioning occurring daily in the distribution kitchen. Regeneration takes place at hospital wards using docking stations, ensuring food is brought from temperatures below 7°C to above 60°C within 50 minutes, maintaining safety and quality.

Staff Meals

On weekdays, the staff restaurant caters to 200-250 guests from 11:30 to 14:00. The main menu mirrors the patients’ menu but is enhanced with additional spices and garnish to cater to staff preferences. A second warm dish and a cold dish change daily, providing a mix of meat, fish, and vegetarian options, along with sandwiches and a salad bar, offering a wide variety of choices.

Hospital Profile and Food Strategy

The hospital is a small regional facility with 300 long-stay beds, focusing on delivering local healthcare and leveraging modern technology, although it is not a major research center. It aims to provide tasty, healthy meals while adhering to strict financial and legislative guidelines, including a 72-hour shelf life and comprehensive allergen declarations. Donating or selling leftover food presents challenges due to cost and logistical complexities.

Sustainability Initiatives

The hospital prioritizes environmental, social, and economic sustainability, with a focus on biodiversity, climate, ecology, nature, health, and conservation efforts. These initiatives reflect a holistic approach to responsible operations.

Recycling Coffee Grounds

In collaboration with “Broed,” 50-60 kg of coffee grounds are collected bi-weekly. These grounds are then utilized to cultivate oyster mushrooms, which are subsequently sold locally, creating a circular economy and reducing waste.

Food Waste Reduction

With the aim of reducing food waste, which currently amounts to 19 tons annually (25% of the total), the hospital is collaborating with Foodwin. This partnership involves measuring waste per ward and developing a comprehensive waste reduction strategy that includes nursing, IT, and kitchen staff, fostering a collaborative approach to minimizing waste.

Action Plan

The action plan encompasses a data-driven buying strategy, increased awareness of meal cancellations among nursing staff, kitchen staff adherence to meal management program data, adaptation of meal portions to reduce waste, extended patient surveys to gather feedback, and clear communication with staff about the ecological and sustainable benefits of their efforts.

Reduction of Ecological Footprint