Study of the effect of the new cooking system introduced to hospital diet and food service management

Abstract

Our hospital is an acute care hospital of 435 beds located in the southwest region of Ehime Prefecture. We provide hospital diet of about 1000 meals a day. By providing delicious, safe and highly-satisfying diet to the patients aimed at the improvement of their eating rate, we practice the nutritional care management.

We have introduced a new cooking system on the occasion of the renovation of the hospital in October 2008, and tried to develop a breakfast menu. By the introduction of new cooking system, the number of breakfast menu is increased, and the amount of vegetables served at breakfast has increased. In addition, it reduced the cost of food materials and enabled to be applied to low-salt diet. Also, there was a positive effect on patient satisfaction.

At the same time, kitchen staff strongly recognize this change as the system that enables safe meal preparation. It also led to the improvement of the working environment.

The new cooking system proved to be beneficial to both patients and meal provider. Its usefulness as the way to prepare hospital diet and also as the management method of food service such as the cost of food materials or the labor management of kitchen staff has been shown.