2019 Volume 38 Issue Special_Issue Pages 292-297
In recent years, local products have sometimes been used in hospital meals in an effort to promote the concept of “local production for local consumption.” The purposes of using local products for hospital meals are as follows: improvement in the quality of hospital meals, improvement in the degree of satisfaction of the eaters (patients), and contribution to the revitalization of regional agriculture. However, there are a few reports on the actual conditions of food procurement in cases of using local products. Four issues regarding the utilization of local products for hospital meals were found: food procurement, distribution system, low recognition of local products, and promotion of outsourcing. A question arises about how hospitals that used local produce for hospital meals confronted these issues. To understand the actual situation and to consider the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing local agricultural products for hospital meals, we conducted a case study of hospitals that use local products for meals. As a result, we found issues that need to be dealt with such as the establishment of a distribution system and the progress of outsourcing. However, we believe that there are many advantages of using local products for hospital meals and there is potential for development.
