Authors (including presenting author) :
Wong YM, Wong HY, Chang KYS, Cheung MF, Chow J, Fok SH, Hui YKI, Kong PS, Kwok KM, Kwok WN, Kwok YY, Lai YL, Ng KK, Ng SC, Sin CY, Wong OC, Wong SP, Woo YM
Affiliation :
Food Services and Nutrition Committee, Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Introduction :
The objective of patient food services is to facilitate patient's treatment and recovery through the provision of necessary nutrition. The cycle menu provide a wide variety of diets (>90) per day, ranging from normal diet to therapeutic diets with one or more diet restriction(s) and modifications in different texture (in 14 levels). The combinations of starch, entree and veggies in the diets made up another matrix. While the menu has to take care of the clinical needs of the patients, individual preference due to religious and cultural background would be taken care of. Serving over 4,600meals per day for patients of an acute hospital with such a diversity of diet types, the balance between just-in-time food provisions and the control of food leftover would be a challenge.
Objectives :
To (1) serve patients with the just-in-time meal services with the support of standby orders while at the same time (2) encourage consumption rate of patient meals so as to avoid unnecessary food waste resulted from leftovers.
Methodology :
Introduction of the "Best Consumption Award" to recognize those wards with the lowest untouched meal trays upon the annual food waste survey. While we keep serving patients with just-in-time meal services, ward staff would try to minimize the untouched meal trays by (i)Sharing on Good Practices among the same specialty; (ii) More accurate forecast for standing orders; (iii)Use DCMS “meal skipping feature”; (iv)Continue to work on menus (taste); (v)Monitor bulk order with patients’ consumption.
Result & Outcome :
To monitor the food waste (in kg) per in-patient per day and the untouched meal trays returned. The food waste (kg/IP/day) has been reduced by 50% in 2017 when compared with 2016. A further reduction of 16% was resulted in 2018. The effort of the ward staff was recognized by the "Best Consumption Award" in 2018 and the good result maintained for 2019.
