UNIT 12 FOOD MANAGEMENT: TYPES OF

FOOD SERVICE SYSTEMS

Structure
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Introduction to Food Service Systems
12.3 Types of Service Systems
12.3.1 Conventional
12.3.2 Commissary
12.3.3 Ready Prepared
12.3.4 AssemblyIServe
12.4 Distribution and Service in Food Service System
12.4.1 Conventional Food Service System
12.4.2 Commissary Food Service System
12.4.3 Ready Prepared Food Service System
12.4.4 AssemblyIServe Food Service System
12.5 Conduct and Appearance of Service Unit Personnel
12.6 Let Us Sum Up
12.7 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

12.1 INTRODUCTION
In Unit 10 earlier, we lea&t about service systems model and various types of
services. These were, as you may recall, conventional, commissary, ready prepared
and assemblylserve. Here, in this unit. we shall have a deep insight of these service
systems. We will get to know what are these, their characteristics, the food service
organizations where these are in operation and how these are carried out.

Next, we shall understand the meal distribution system and service styles in food
service systems. This too, you may recall, you have already studied earlier. Here,
however. we will have a look at all of these in terms of distribution and service issues.
So let us proceed with our discussion.
Objectives
After studying this unit, you will be able to:
understand different types of service,
discuss distribution and service styles in feud service system, and
highlight the factors which are important for the service personnel.

12.2 INTRODUCTION TO FOOD SERVICE SYSTEMS

New production/service systems for food service organizations have developed in
recent years. Characterized by a separation of production and service of food in time
and/or place, these new systems have been primarily aimed at increasing productivity,
decreasing cost, or strengthening control of operations. Because food service managers
assume primary ~esponsibilityfor food safety and quality regardless of the type of
system, complex managerial decisions are required to develop and implement
appropriable food service systems that serve quality food at minimal cost. The physical,
chemical and lnicrobiological changes occurring in food throughout all stages of
procurement, production and service must be monitored and controlled to ensure the.
quality and safety of the finished products.
Entrepreneurship and Food Spiraling labour costs and technological innovation in both food and equipment have
Service Management led to implementation of these new types of systems. Faced with these costs and a
lack of available highly skilled employees, food service managers have been receptive
to using the new forms of food with built-in convenience or labour-saving features.
These foods, in their various forms and stages of preparation, have appeared on the
market in increasing numbers each year. Many require specialized equipment for final
production, delivery and service.

As highlighted in Unit 10 earlier, four major t, ges of food service systems have been
identified - the conventional or traditionally used system, and three newer systems,
commissary, ready prepared and assembly/serve. A 2eries of conceptual diagrams
for food service operations, developed by a regional research group to illustrate food
product flow within these various types of food service systems, will be presented
and discussed further in this section.

A major distinguishing characteristic of the four systems is the degree oj'processing

of the foods, which may vary from little or no processing prior to purchase of the
foods to completely prepared foods ready for service. This food processing continuum,
deals with the procurement sub-system and the process of bringing into the system
one of the most important inputs, food. Figure 12.1 illustrates the interrelationship
between the inputs of the system and the transformation processes. It also emphasizes
the critical role procurement plays and indicates how the types of food used in the
system the quality standards enforced and quality assurance programmes affect the
nature and characteristics of the entire system and the output.

and Objectives

Quality Standards

Performance Measures
4
Quality Assurance
Programme

Input

Figure 12.1: Quality assurance in food service model

In many food services, a combination of foods with varying degrees of processing is

utilized. Look at Figure 12.2, which presents the food processing continuum. At the
far left of this diagrammatic continuum, as you would have noticed, food items
receive little or no processing prior to purchase by the food service operation; at the
far right, however, the food products have undergone complete processing and are
ready for service. Fresh apples, sugar, flour, and shortening for use in baking an apple
pie are examples of foods with little or no processing, whereas frozen baked pie is
an example at the other end of the food processing continuum.

I None
Food Processing Continuum
Complete I

Food Service System

Figure 12.2: Food processing continuum

With a brief understanding of the food processing continuum, let us next review the Food Management: Types
four systems of food service which as mentioned earlier are distinguished based on of Food Service Systems
the degree of processing of the foods, which may vary from little or no processing
prior to purchase of the foods to completely prepared foods ready for service.

12,.3 TYPES OF SERVICE SYSTEMS

You may recall studying about different types of services in Unit 10. Let us have
a look at these in detail in this section. We shall begin with conventional type of
service first.

12.3.1 Conventional
The conventional food service system is the type most establishments havejraditionally
used. Foods are purchased for an individual operation in various stages of preparation,
but all production is completed and foods are served on the same premises. Following
production, foods are held hot or chilled, as appropriate for the menu item, and served
as soon as possible as illustrated in Figure 12.3.

Food Processing Continuum

Dr,.n.rrmmnn~
I ( Alternatives
Conventional
Food Service System
I

Food Production
I

I Consumer /
Figure 12.3: Conventional food service system
In previous years, conventional food service systems often included a butcher shop,
bake shop, and vegetable preparation unit. Currently, many conventional food service
operations use pre-portioned meats, baked goods, and canned and frozen vegetables
rather than purchasing all types of foods raw and completing processing on premises.

Although alternative systems have evolved, the conventional system continues to be

the dominant type of food service in the United States. Because of increasing labour
costs, managers of conventional food services have gradually made changes in
ingredients and menu items purchased in an attempt to reduce the labour needed for
meal production. Food procured for conventional systems vary from those with no
processing, to those with a limited amount of processing, to those processed completely.

Foods with varying degrees of processing are brought into the system and prepared
for service in the food production sub-system. As shown in Figure 12.3 some food
are merely purchased and held chilled before service, such as milk or butter patties,
whereas other menu items are produced in the system from raw foods and held either
heated or chilled until time of service.

Following receipt and appropriate storage of food items and ingredients, menu items
should be prepared as near to service time as possible. Considerable labour is required
Entrepreneurship and Food before and during food service periods. Otherwise. food subjected to hot-holding
Service Management conditions is affected by temperature, humidity and length of holding time, all of which
can adversely affect its nutritional and sensory quality and must be considered when
scheduling food production.

Foods prepared in the conventional system may be distributed for service directly to
an adjacent or nearby serving area, such as a cafeteria, dining room. or lunch counter.
In hospitals or other healthcare facilities, as you know already, food may be served
on trays, using a centralized or decentralized service approach. In centrali,-ed
sewice, as you would recall, the individual patient trays are assembled and set up at
some central point in or close to the production area. Trays are then distributed by
carts or conveyors to patient floors, where they are delivered to patient rooms. In
decentralized senlice. food is distributed in hulk quantities to another area in the
facility where trays are assembled. In some facilities, a combination of these two
approaches is used.

Next, let us review the commissary food service system.

12.3.2 Commissary
Technological innovations and the design of sophisticated food service equipments
have led to the evolution and development of commissary food service systems.
These commissary systems are characterized by a centralized ,food procurement
and production ,facility, with distribution of prepared menu items to several remote
areas for final preparation and service. The centralized production facilities are often
referred to as central commissaries or food factories, and the service units as
satellite service centers. The economies of scale concept have guided the design of
these systems. The potential for economies from large-scale purchasing and production
in a central facility has been used to justify design and construction of these complex
operations with expensive automated equipment for production of foods from
unprocessed states.

In commissary food service systems, the foods purchased have received little or no
processing, as indicated in the continuum at the top of the Figure 12.4. These foods
are generally purchased in large quantities and held after delivery at the facility under
appropriate environmental conditions in frozen refrigerated or dry storage. Most
menu items in commissary systems are processed completely in the central facility.
Because of the large quantities produced, the equipment for preprocessing and
production is often different from the equipment used in conventional systems. These
large central production centers may be designed using equipment frequently seen in
food industry operations, such as canneries or frozen food processing
plants. Because of the large scale production quantities, recipes and food
production techniques require major modification. For example, the degree of
doneness is less for most menu items because of the additional heating or thermalization
needed at the satellite service centers to bring the foods to an acceptable serving
temperature.

Foods are held after production, frozen, chilled, or heated, for distribution to the
service centers as you may have noticed in Figure 12.4. These menu items may be
stored in bulk or in individual portions. The type of storage used may depend on the
time lag necessary between production and service. In many instances, however, the
type of storage for prepared menu items may be the concept guiding the design of
the system. For example, a decision to use frozen storage for menu items may be
made before proceeding with the design. Many menu items that have been held
frozen or chilled require an additional thermal process to heat them to desirable
service temperature. Highly specialized distribution equipment may be needed,
depending on the type and location of satellite service centers.
 Food Management: Types

I None
Food Processing Continuum
Complete I of Food Service Systems

I
I Alternatives
Commissary
Food Service System

Food Production
I
ci
I I

Store Frozen Store Chilled Hold Chilled

Distribution
Consumer
Figure 12.4: Commissary food service system

A modification of the food service systems model illustrates unique characteristics of

commissary food service systems. As indicated, the major modifications affecting
inputs to the system are the type of food and facilities used. In the transformation
element, the nature of the functional sub-systems is vastly different from the convenient
system, mainly because of the larger scale production capacity, the storage necessary
for prepared menu items, and the distribution capabilities required for transporting
prepared menu items to a wide array of satellite service centers.

The packaging and storage of prepared menu items present challenges for control in
commissary systems. A variety of packaging materials and approaches is used in
systems now in operation, varying from individual pouches or serving dishes, specially
designed for frozen or chilled holding, to disposable or reusable metal pans adapted
to various types of distribution and transportation equipment. Preserving the
microbiological, sensory, and nutritional quality of foods during holding and thermalization
at point of service can present problems. Specialized equipment is required for the'
packaging, storing and distributing of products prepared in central commissaries. In
large food factories, a food technologist or microbiologist is frequently on staff,
responsible for monitoring quality control.

In food service organizations with many serving units, centralized production and
other activities with commissary type systems have been tried in an attempt to curtail
labour and other costs. The commissary food service principles have been adopted
in systems where service areas are remote from, yet accessible to, the production
center. Reducing duplication of production, labour, and equipment that occurs if
production centers are located at each food service site has been the objective.
Space requirements at the service centers can also be minimized because of the
limited production equipment required. The high capital cost for construction of these
large central production units and also the high cost for transportation equipment and
the increasing expenses for distribution are current concerns in evaluating the
effectiveness of these systems.

Commissary systems are adaptable particularly for food service operations with service
in unique places. One of the best examples can be found in airline food service,
where the commissary system has been applied for many years. Menu items for
airlines are produced in ground level facilities according to specifications of the
Entwreneurship ail3 P;.cvod various alllines, portioned into individual meals for passengers, and distributed in
.$prvice Management v w i ~ u scon:aincrs and c a t s ior holding on site in the production facility and on the
p h i ~ e scilitil service. Commissary systems are, in large measure, an outgrowth of
ailiine food service applied to other types of operations.

Cornnlissary systems have long been applied in school food service. although many
syxtens havc combined convcntional and comnlissary approaches. In recent j.cars,
centralized production facilities located away from schools have been constructed,
usually in u h a n districts with a large number of schools. Often the larger secondary
schools litlve their own con~elltionalsystems. so the central production facility only
produces nlcals for the smaller elementary schools in the district. X more common
sjt,tefii, however, use's the larger secondary school kitchens as the commissary for
prr;ducing iile:il~ that are transported for service in bulk or portions to the s:naller
eie:;-tentary sih001~.In this insiance. the secondary school operation is both a
c ~ ; ; n i n l s s ~and
y a conventional system, because secondary sludents are also served
iii ,111 adjacent cafeteria. Ttese secondary school operations are often referred to as
bace kitchens.

In commercial food service in large, multi-umt operations, systems combining

charactenstic of commis3ary and conventional systems are found. For example. some
menu items may be prepared in a central comrllissary and then shipped to a variety
of operations. often great distances from the commissary. In the individual units, a
cvmhina~lonof menu items is served. including both those procured from the central
c o m l n i s s q and otherc prcpared on site.

The discussion above we hope presented a good insight into the commissary food
service system and its application in the food industry. Let us next move on to study
1h2 third food service system i.e., ready prepared.

62.3.3 Ready Prepared

Ready prepared food senrice systems have been developed in response to increased,
labour costs and to a critical shortage of s l l l e d food production personnel. In ready
prepared systems, menu items are produced and held frozen or chilled for service.
A key difference between ready prepared and coizveational systems is that menu
items are not produced for immediate service in ready systems. Many of the production,
packaging and storage techniques are similar to those used in commissary systems;
however, the scale of production is not as large because the ready prepared system
is designed ior a single operation. Generally, ready prepared systems have been
adopted because completely prepared foods are not available in the market to meet
the needs of an organization. In the healthcare industry, in particular, prepared foods
are often not available to meet the specialized needs of patients with varying health
problems.

The food product flow in ~ e a d yprepared food service systems is shown in Figure
12.5. As indicated, foods from the entire spectrum of the food processing continuum
are used. Fouds brought into the system that are completely processed are merely
stored frozen or chilled, as appropriate to the food item. Foods procured with little or
no processing are used to produce menu items that are stored either frozen or ch~lled.
A distinct feature of these systems is that prepared meizu Items are readily available
at any time .for .final assembly arzdor heatin,? fbr service.

Menu items such as entries and hot vegetables require two phases of heat processing
in ready prepared food service systems, the first occurring during the quantity production
of menu items. The second occurs after storage, in bringing items to the appropriate
temperature for service to the consumer.
 Food Management: Types
of Food Service Systems

r b n e p p
Food Processing Continuum
Complete
I
'
'"'1"""'"'

Ready Prepared Alternatives

Food Service System
+
Food Production

Store Frozen

I I Heat I I 1

t Figure 12.5: Food Bow in ready prepared food service system

1

it
C
Cook-chill and cook-jreeze are two variations of ready prepared systems. In cook-
chill food service operations, most menu items are maintained in the chilled state for
various periods of time. In cook-freeze systems, menu items are stored in the frozen
state for periods generally ranging from two weeks up to three months.

iC
I
Procured foods are placed in appropriate shortage conditions, and then produced for
holding in one of the two forms discussed above. Careful production scheduling is
needed along with accurate forecasting to maintain quality of foods and avoid prolonged
holding beyond the planned time. In cook-chill systems, prepared menu items are
portioned for service several hours or as much as a day in advance of the serving
period. In both, cook-chill or cook-freeze approaches, final heating occurs just before
service, usually in facilities near the serving areas. For example, hospitals have

t
facilities on patient floors called galleys, where specialized heating equipment is used
to finish the preparation for menu items immediately before service. Microwave
ovens are the most commonly used heating equipment. Often, minor preparation, such
as preparing toast for a breakfast menu, may occur in these galleys. In the initial
preparation, menu items should be slightly undercooked to avoid overcooking and loss
F
1 of sensory quality in the final heating for service.
P
b
In cook-freeze systems, special recipe formulations are needed for many menu items
because of the changes that occur in freezing. Development of off-flavours may be
a problem with some food items. Substituting more stable ingredients, by exercising
greater control of storage time, temperature, and packaging, or by adding stabilizers
may control some of these changes.

r:
The challenge in the ready prepared systems using either cook-chill or cook-freeze
approaches in retention of foods' nutrient content, microbial safety and sensory
quality. Prolonged holding should be avoided, and careful control in the final heating
stage prior to service is important. In addition to microwave ovens for this final
heating process, immersion techniques and convection ovens have also been proven
to be effective. Convection ovens, in which the air is circulated during the heating
process, are effective for heating foods held in bulk because appropriate temperatures
are reached more rapidly than in conventional ovens. Immersion techniques, which
involve immersing pouches of food in boiling water or in steamers, are used for
reheating moist food items, such as entrke items in sauces.
Entrepreneurship and Food The food service systems model, already described earlier in IJnit 10, that we are
Service Management using as a framework for this unit has dircct application to the ready prepared
system. In the transformation process, however, special attention must be focused on
the production and holding of prepared menu items. As indicated above, special
systems for heating menu items for service to consumers are required.

Ready prepared food service systems have been adopted in many operations to
reduce labour expenditures and use labour more effectively. Peak demands for labour
are removed because production is designed to meet future rather than immediate
needs. Production personnel can be scheduled for regular working hours rather than
during the early morning and late evening shifts that are required in conventional
systems. The heating and service of menu items does not require highly skilled
employees and thus, reductions in labour costs are often possible. Food procurement
in volume may decrease food costs in these systems.

Finally let us review the assemblylserve system.

12.3.4 AssemblyIServe
The development of assemblylserve systems - also referred to as convenience j ~ o d
systems or systems using minimal cooking concepts - came about primarily because
of the availability of foods that are ready to serve or that require little or no processing
in the food service operation prior to service. Another factor has been the chronic
shortage of skilled personnel in food production and the increasing cost of labour.

The primary objective of assemh!y/serve systems is to provide jood ready jbr

sewice while minimizing the amount qf lnhozrr resoztrces emi~loyed rz-lithin the
food service operation. Food products are brought into the system with a maximum
degree of processing as you would notice in Figure 12.6. Only storage assembly,
heating and service functions are commonly performed in these systems; little, if any,
preprocessing is done and production is very limited.

Figure 12.6: Food flow in assemhlylserve food service system

The three market forms of foods used predominantly in these systems are bulk, pre-
portionerl, and preplated ,fro,-en ,foods. The bulk form requires portioning before or
after heating within the food service service operation. whereas the pre-portioned
market form requires only assembly and heating. The preplated products require only
heating for distribution and service, and thus are the most easily handled of the three
i-oms.
In many assemblylserve operations, a combination of foods is used, some requiring Food Management: Types
a limited degree of processing in the food service operation and others requiring none. of Food Service Systems
Often partially prepared foods are purchased to be combined with other ingre.'. ,lents
before heating or chilling. In many operations, completely processed foods may be
enhanced in the assernblylserve syste:a as a way of individualizing menu items; for
example, a sauce may be added to an entrke. Glew (1972), however, contends that
the use of completely processed foods is probably more cost effective than using total
convenience foods along with those requiring more preparation in the food service
system.

Following procurement, in assemblylserve systems, food items are held in diy,

refrigerated, or frozen storage. When menu items are heated in bulk or pre-portioned
form, quality control is a particular concern. Foods must be thawed under appropriate
conditions if thawing is required prior to heating. The thawing and heating processes
must not be scheduled too long to advance of service because of the potential loss
of microbial, nutritional, and sensory quality of the food. For this reason, specialized
systems for heating frozen foods to appropriate serving temperatures have been
developed, in which convection and microwave ovens are frequently used.

The assemblylserve approach to food service systems gained some degree of

acceptance because it appeared to offer an easy solution to labour and production
problems. However, a readily available supply of highly processed, high quality food
products is a prerequisite for a successful assernblylserve operation. As indicated in
the discussion of ready prepared systems, the availability of food products is sometimes
a problem, particularly in healthcare institutions. Although foods for special modified
dietary needs have been developed in recent years, these foods are not always
readily available, particularly in rural and small communities. Therefore, if a convenience
food system is used for patients or nursing home residents without special dietary
needs, food production may be needed to prepare items for those on modified diets.

Another common complaint about the assemblylserve systems is the lack of

individuality. Comments are frequently heard about the "sameness" of the ready
prepared foods available in the market place. As we discussed in the section on
conventional food systems, a trend toward use of foods with some degree of processing
is evident. This trend appears to be more predominant than total adoption of assembly1
serve systems. In some instances, however, an assemblylserve system meets the
needs of particular operations in which space is very limited for production facilities
or labour is not available.

Before we further move on to study distribution and service, let us take a break here
and recapitulate what we have learnt till now.

Check Your Progress Exercise 1

1) Discuss the reasons behind the increased need of new food production1
service systems.

I
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
.......................,...,.............,......,................,.......,......................................
2) What are the four major types of food service systems?
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
& 253
Entrepreneurship and Food
--
Service h4an~gement 3) Packaging and storage of prepared menu items present challenges for control
in commissary systems. Discuss.
...............................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
.I) What arc the benefits and challenges of using readv prepared systems?
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
5) Bring about the drawbacks of assernbly/ser\ice systems.
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................

NOW that we have a good knowledge of the different fcjnci service systems, let us
next review the dislributio:. and qervire in foe1 st:rvice ';:l>tem.

12.4 DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE IN FOOD SERVICE

SYSTEM
-~----- ---
Depending on rile type of fo.::r! service systems. distribution may or may not be a
major function. In hospital food service. where patients must be served in individual
rooms located on many floors and perhaps in separated building. distribution is a major
concern. You v?ould recall read~ngabout this before in Unit i O as well. Ensuring that
the appropriate food is sent to the appropriate place for senrice to a part~cularpatient
is a complex process, further complicated by the need to ensure that the food is at
the right temperature 2nd ac:sthetically appealing. In ccrltrast, in ihe fast food operation,
where patrons pick up ihe food items directly after production and either carry them
off premises for consumption or to a table in thc hcility. distribution is relatively
sin~ple.In fact, the distribution and service becomes the responsibility primarily of the
customer, not the personnel.

Sewice takes many forms in a food service establishment, from that in the upscale
fine food restaurant involving several highly trained personnel to that in the many
types of self-service operations - cafeteria, vending or buffet. The method, speed
and quality of the services provided can "make or b r e a k a food service establishment
as already discussed earlier in Unit 11. The quality of food may be excellent, the
sanitation of the establishment above reproach, the procurement and storage of food
ideal, hut if rhe service is lacking, the operation will be rated poor by the clientele.
In some instances, clientele will repeatedly return to an establishment with only
mediocre food because a favourite waiter or waitress provides high quality
service or because they can depend on being served and back to work in a short
period of time.

In this section, the four basic types of systems will be discussed from the standpoint
of distribution and service issues. Different types of service in these food service
systemsloperations will then he outlined. So let us begin our discussion with conventional
food senlice system.
 12.4.1 Conventional Food Service System E ' O O ~Mariagernes;: 1~~53
of F a d Service Sysiren~s
In the conventional system. most menu iterr< are produced on premise and distributed
for service to a serving area or areas close to the production facilities. In this system,
hot and cold holding equipment is ~ ~ c e d to t d ma~niainthe proper ;e;nperature for
various menu items between the time of production and service as you may have
already noticed in Figure 12.3. Depending on the type of service areas, this holding
equipment may be stationary r,.- mcbile. Some equipment is quite versatile and :an
be used for distribution, llolding and iervice. For example, the moh;!e I T I U : ~ - I ~ R sei.-;ng
+
units could be used for transporting food for a catered Functiofi in I dir:ing ~-c,crn.wag
from the main kitchen and also for holding the le?:i w ~ i time
l of service, The uniis
then provide a service counter for self or waiter/waitress service
In a healthcare facility, however, patien: service !nay take place t h ~ ~ i . ~ g llie ht~!~~
facility, requiring more complzx distribution systems that in other types cf f w d serqice
operations. Meal assembly. for exarnple, may be ccnimlized or decentroI~~eLi.In
a facility with centralized meal assembly. the time between produr-tioil, asscmbly,
distribution and service can be minimal. The trays are first assemble~ffor servici: at
a central location in or close to the main production facilities. Hot menu items are held
in food warming cabinets, usually in cafeteria counter pans. where they remain wti!
placed in hot food serving units during lray assembly: cold items are held under
refrigeration. The assembled trays are then distributed to the patient units usiilg a
variety of types of cars. Some institutions use heated md I-efrizeratsd tray c'u-ts,
which may be motorized or pushed manually by hospital personnel. A few institutions
have an automated cart transport system, which only requires setting a dial or pushing
a button to move carts along specially designed i:orric?.orsto deGg:iarzd service a:eas.
This type of system must be a ticsign fe;:~:rz of' the f x i l i t y dtu-ing ,:c~~!s&uc~is:.n.
The high initial and maintenance costs of heated anci heatedrefrigorated carts have
led to development of other methods for rrraint:ii;ling proper temperatures an assembled
trays. One of these systems uses speciaily designed dishes that i.:avi.. bee11 preheated
in an infrared oven, and then transferred to an insulated base. .flie hat rnenu items
are portioned onto the plate, which is covered by a clor11e designed to fir the base
container, thus keeping food warm unlil service to the patient. 'This limit is plsced on
the individual patient's tray, and other rnenu items, that have been individually wrapped
are added. The as3embled trays are then transported in an unheated cart to patient
units for service.
The process of meal distribution in a centralized tray system includes activities to t l ~
movement of assembled trays from the point of assembly to the prrtient area. A
method for thermal retention is needed in largel. operations ~ t lwh~c5thc ( m e Setv~een
meal assembly and service to the patient is too long to mainta~nproper :enlpcl.atnr-s.
Refrigerated support for cold foods may also be needed. Ure had airczJy descrihpd
'
the types of methods that are widely used nn healthcare institutions in ginit 10 earlier.
These categories include hot thermal retenlion/sy~port,hct and cold thermal
retention sysremy, and no thermal support Benefits and crpnstrain:~ of : h e
distribution systems and of few others (such as microwave ovens, convection ovens,
'
infrared ovens etc.) are described for your reference in Table 12.1.
The layout uses mobile equipment, which has been widely accepted because of the
flexibility and the ease of facility maintenance provided. This type of set-up can be
, readily rearranged or moved for cleaning
, Each assembly area requires support equipment to assemble the trays. The size of
'
the area and the number of trays to assemble will determine the type of conveyor
, system required to provide support. Hyselz atld Harrison (1982) outline opijons for
'
tray assembly equipment, including manual conveyors. such as a t r y slid-; simple
mechanical conveyors, such as a rcller type, and motni~~recl conveyors, which Inay be
straight-line or circular. The straight-line lay out jlllistrates other cquipmen~nceded
for holding and dispending food and other items needed fo~:tray jssembl).
P
Entrepreneurship and Food Table 12.1: Major meal distribution and service systems along with their benefits and
Service Management constraints

Major Meal Ditribu- Benefits Constraints

tion and Service Sys-
tem
Hot and Cold Thermal Retention Systems
Pellet and sublimation A synergistic heat main- The operational cost of
refrigeration tenance effect is complexity of the required
achieved. carbon dioxide cooling sys-
Simplicity of cart con- tem is consideration.
struction and ease of Patient trays are not com-
sanitation. pletely assembled at a cen-
The cast is lightweight, tral assembly point. Final
which provides for ease assembly occurs in patient
of mobility. areas.
Split tray Centralized supervision The card is heavy and
and control of the total bulky. A motorized version
assembly process. may be required if any
Non reassembly of tray ramps are to be negotiated.
components is required The cards are difficult to
in the patient areas. sanitize.
Good temperature reten- The initial cost of the cart is
tion of both hot and cold high and maintenance costs
items. can be high.
The system accommo- Due to the relatively heavy
dates late trays within a weight and limited manoeu-
reasonable period. vrability, carts and wall sur-
faces are subject to damage.
Match-a-tray Same as described for Same as described for split
split tray except that
consolidation is required
on the patient level.
. tray.
Additional labour must be
applied at the patient area
to reassemble the complete
patient meal.
Insulaled trays Maintains hot and cold The purchase of special dis-
zones well without exter- posable dishes results in
nal hat or refrigerant higher operational costs.
sources. Food holding time is limited
Simplicity or transport is to 45 minutes.
achieved. It does not The long range cost could
require a heavy, en- be substantially higher than
closed delivery cart. other systems due to dis-
Stacked trays protect posable and lease costs.
and insulated food. Hot foods may take on a
There is a less load on "steamed" appearance in
the dish washing facility the hot compartment due to
due to disposables. its relatively small volume
There are no complex and lack of venting.
components to repair, re- Possible adverse patient re-
place or maintain. action to eating from a
compartmentalized tray.
Trays can be difficult to
sanitize completely due to
deep cavity construction.