QUANTIFYING DESIGN PARAMETERS FOR FOODSERVICE SYSTEMS IN AMERICAN HOSPITALS

The major types of hospital foodservice systems in the United States are defined and exemplified in the description of five representative hospitals. Special emphasis was placed on the space, equipment, and labor required to achieve a cost-effective operation. The amount of processing a menu item receives prior to leaving a hospital kitchen is noted by a numerical value, a Food Processing Index (FPI). The FPI, developed by the authors, serves as a guide to management in the selection of a foodservice system. In analyzing the type of system, the FPI can be used to make quantitative comparisons and evaluate the cost of the operation versus the quality of the food.