Types of foodservice operation in healthcare facilities Research Paper

Types of foodservice operation in healthcare facilities - Research Paper Example There are four major types of food service operation alternatives for foodservice directors who seek to change foodservice systems to enhance quality control; these include conventional service, commissary, ready prepared, and assembly-serve food service (Food Product flow, n.d). Foodservice has a number of special characteristics that make it unique to production of other products, and this uniqueness influences decisions concerning production and service; in this regard, foodservice directors choose foodservice operations based on the uniqueness of the foodservice. Different foodservice operations offer solutions to some of the challenges such as scheduling employees and production, difficulty in staffing, and high labor and food costs that emerge from the unique characteristics of foodservice. Conventional food service Conventional foodservice system is the foodservice system that entails assembling ingredients and producing food onsite/location, held at appropriate temperatures, either heated or chilled, and served to customers (Types of Food Service Operations, n.d); also, foods are prepared closest to meal times as possible and the food is purchased all along the food processing continuum. Conventional foodservice is the foodservice system used extensively in schools, restaurants, colleges and universities, and cafeterias, but many of these conventional foodservice systems are increasingly using more and more food products from the complete end of the food-processing continuum because of the current labor shortfall affecting them today. Advantages of conventional foodservice system include high degree of perceived quality because it makes people think of fresh homemade foods, flexibility in menu items because food is prepared and served instantly thus food quality is uncompromised, in addition to, the ability to use traditional standardized recipes that need little or no need of modifications at all (Foodservice Systems, n.d). Disadvantages of conventiona l foodservice include intensive labor demand because more labor must be scheduled to meet high demands of food at peak times, higher food costs due to less control of portion sizes or wastages, less control over food safety due to inconsistences in staff adherence to standard operating procedures. Commissary foodservice Commissary foodservice, also known as centralized foodservice, is the system of foodservice where food production is centralized and food is transferred to satellite locations that act as receiving kitchens where food is then served to customers (Foodservice Systems, n.d). In this system of foodservice, food items are bought near the non-end of the food-processing continuum and food is prepared in the central kitchen exclusively thereby reducing costs considerably. In addition, the system takes advantage of economies of scale, low labor costs, and is best utilized in the airline industries, large restaurant corporations and a number of schools. Advantages of commissa ry foodservice include lower food and supply costs due to purchasing food supplies in large quantities, great purchasing power, improved ingredient control that decreases food costs, and effective inventory control to issue foods in appropriate quantities, lower labor costs, and high flexibility in scheduling of food preparation. Disadvantages of