What differentiates foodservice from a production?
What are some similarities?
Differences:
- demands for food occur at peak times (breakfast, lunch and dinner meals)
- demands for food vary depending on the time of year and competitive events so production must be notified accordingly
Similarities:
- labour intensive
- skilled and unskilled labor is needed
- due to food being perishable, it must be handled properly: before, during and after prep
- menu changes daily so production changes daily as well
What are some challenges for foodservice systems as a consequence of unique characteristics to food production and service?
- challenges in scheduling employees and production
- difficulty staffing
- high labor and food costs
What characteristics does a conventional food system have?
- demands for food occur at peak times (breakfast, lunch and dinner meals)
- demands for food vary depending on the time of year and competitive events so production must be notified accordingly
- labour intensive
- skilled and unskilled labor is needed
- due to food being perishable, it must be handled properly: before, during and after prep
- menu changes daily so production changes daily as well
What is the role of food service directors?
look for ways to reduce or eliminate impact of the unique characteristics
What is the purpose of alternative foodservice systems?
to offer solutions
Describe a commissary foodservice system.
They centralize the production process-> which allows for economies of scale, reducing the costs of food production
Describe a ready-prepared foodservice system.
They separate production and service where food is prepared and stored in either frozen or chilled for later re-thermalization and service
-> removes peaks and valleys of production that occur when production is planned around service -> more cost effective foodservice system than the conventional system
Why is it important to understand the flow of food?
- to determine the system that best meets your needs
- develop an effective HACCP program
What are the 10 possible processes that food flows through? (include the case of centralized food production)
menu planning-> purchasing -> receiving -> storing -> preparing -> cooking -> holding -> serving -> cooling -> reheating
*if food service system is centralized: transporting process must be added
What is the continuum of food processing that might be done prior to purchasing?
none to complete
- if food is purchased at the “none” end of the continuum, you purchased the ingredients for a product
- if food is purchased at the “complete” end of the continuum, the food product you purchased is ready to heat or serve (perhaps even no prep or rethermalization)
Give an example of the food purchase continuum you might find in a school food service.
make: Italian bread
possibilities:
-purchase ingredients (yeast, flour, sugar, shortening and salt) to make own bread from scratch
no prior processing = at the “none” end
-purchase frozen bread dough, proof it, bake it = purchasing at the mid-range end of the food precessing continuum
-purchase form the complete end of continuum = purchase Italian bread already bakes and you just need to serve
How do purchasing decisions differ?
depending on the type of foodservice system that is in place
Give an example of centralized food production and its purchasing decisions.
- more likely to purchase from the left end of the continuum “none” = little to no processing
- the processing will be done in the centralized kitchen
- represents substantial cost savings = one goals for centralized production
What is the relationship between food costs and labor costs? Compare centralized kitchen vs. assembly-serve foodservice system.
inversely related (usually) -as one goes up the other one goes down
Centralized Foodservice System:
-if quantities of food produced are very high, (seen with large central kitchen), productivity (meals per labour hour) increases = so labor costs are more reasonable
Assembly service food service system:
- if food is purchased at the “complete” end of the food processing continuum, food costs are high but less labor is require so labor costs decreases
What are the 4 types of foodservice systems in the literature?
1- conventional
2- commissary
3- ready-prepared
4-assembly serve
What is incorporated into a conventional foodservice system?
Give an example of the food processing continuum.
Where are they most commonly used?
- most common but changing
most popular in schools, restaurants, colleges and Universities/cafeterias
why? due to current labor shortage so use more and more from the “complete” end of continuum
ingredients: assembled and food produced on site
holding: heated or chilled and then served to customers
Food purchase/processing continuum: all along the continuum
For example:
some items purchased from “none” which require full preparation
other items purchased may require some processing or are fully prepared so only need portioning and service
What are some advantages of conventional foodservice systems?
- high degree of perceives quality: people think of fresh and homemade food products= often equated to quality
- food is served soon after preparation: most often freezing, chilling or reheating typically does not impact the quality of food
- flexibility in menu items: any menu item can be included since food is prepared and served soon after production
- traditional standardized recipes can be used: no need to modify recipes for chilling or reheating or large production quantities = large number of standardized quantity recipes available
What are some disadvantage of conventional food service systems?
labor intensive: prep timed in relation to service = more affected by peaks and valleys of demand for food than any other system = more labour needed to be timed for peaks = higher cost for labor than any other systems
- consistency: variability in food quality, portion sizes and food costs de to unskilled labor
eg. do all cooks follow the standardized recipes, some people have better techniques than others, different expectations from different managers of their employees = result in inconsistencies - higher food costs: less control of portion sizes, more deliveries are required by vendors, more waste, more total inventory since it is dispersed across many locations
- food safety: less control over food safety than any other systems, more decisions to be made of critical control points discussed by many staffs at many locations, hard to proved supervision needed to ensure consistency in how staff follow standard operating procedures in different schools
What is a centralized (commissary) foodservice system?
known as central kitchen, central food production or food factory
- centralized food production so food is then transported to satellites (receiving kitchens) for service
- purchased near the “none” end of continuum and food prep is done in central kitchen =lowers food costs
- labour costs are lower because centralized food prep
- takes advantage of economies of scale and is most effective when mass food production is required.
What are two factors that need to be considered about food transport in centralized foodservice system?
temperature and packaging
- either hot or cold =impact delivery and equipment needed for receiving kitchens/transportation
- bulk or pre-plated =ipacts equipment and labor needed at receiving kitchen
-schedules must be coordinated
Where are centralized foodservice systems most often used?
airlines; central production facility on/near airport property where food is prepared, pre-plated, sealed either chilled or frozen
- preplated meals placed in closed carts, trays with cold items assembled and placed in closed carts = transported to airline (satellite) via truck
- plates requiring rethermalization are placed into convection ovens
- once plane takeoffs, stewarts distribute meals
- assembly once the passenger place their order (hot entree, on tray that has the cold items already)
- caterer sends truck to airplane to get used carts, trays and dishes to return them to the central food production facility for washing and sanitizing
- simultaneously, airplane is supplied with meals needed for next flight
Where is food transported to in centralized foodservice systems?
external locations = satellites or receiving kitchens
What are advantages of centralized foodservice systems?
- lower food and supply costs: significant cost savings from purchasing food and supplies in large quantities needed for one very large operations rather than a smaller operation, most food purchased near “none” end of continuum where food costs are lowest
- purchasing power: delivery schedules (just one location=save money), order size, quality control and return policies may be reduced or eliminated, milk and bread may still be delivered to individual schools/locations
- effective utilization of USDA commodities: able to utilize raw government commodities in timely/creative manner, flexible in recipes use, cost savings and similar products will not need to be purchased on open market
- ingredient control is improved: more control = less food costs, central kitchens have planned ingredient rooms = pre weighed/measured prior to prep, control quantities of ingredients used = ensures standardization
- inventory control: food issued in appropriate quantities, good inventory turnover=less spoilage, good “just in time” inventory
- lower labour costs: labor cost + total # of employees are reduced significantly, high production quantities provide opportunities to increase productivity = selling point since today labor is scarce and expensive
- flexibility in scheduling food prep: food is transported cold = eliminates peaks and valleys of demand for food and allows labor costs to be controlled, production scheduled any time during the day
- mechanism of prep: mechanized equipment=more efficient
- quality control:
1) microbiological quality: due to # HACCP plans and procedures in place
2) aesthetic quality: color, texture, appearance ensured through menu planning, purchasing, prep = consistent
3) nutritional quality: all menu planning, purchasing and prep centralized and consistent - consistency: .. same as above
- better utilisation of production facility: better space and equipment utilization compared to smaller kittchens, productivity might be increased via contracts for food/meals to other districts
- flexibility in location: location must be accessible by highway for deliveries to schools located in high cost lands
- fully equipped kitchens not needed in each school = save equipment costs
What is a ready-prepared food service system?
used for many years
- food produced onsite
- scheduled any time for food productions since it is prepared and stored frozen/chilled
- allows multiple days production in one time (2 days chillin in next 30 days, make it one shot)
- food purchased all over the continuum
