Abstract
Institutionalized foodservice in health care is evolving. Some hospitals have introduced local foods as a means of improving health and wellness. Investigation into the hospital foodservice literature, however, leaves unclear what percentage of hospitals actually participate in procuring, serving, or promoting local foods to patients and employees. We investigated the factors that contributed to hospitals purchasing or not purchasing local foods for their operations. A census of Ohio hospital foodservice directors ( n =155) was undertaken in the fall of 2014. The response rate was 67.8%. The broad research questions asked about how much knowledge they had of the local food movement, to what extent they currently used local foods (or had interest in purchasing local foods in the future) for their institutions, and what systemic issues advanced or impeded their institutional use of local foods. We found that 77.9% of the respondents had knowledge of the local food movement. However, only 57.7% were currently using local foods in their operations. Even fewer were implementing programs related to local food. The findings revealed the major reasons for not incorporating local foods into operations were based on concerns over inconsistent supply levels, liability insurance, refrigeration, and other food safety issues. Lastly, the findings showed that foodservice directors are interested in programs that incorporate more local foods into their operations. These findings provide insight into how food systems workers can help hospitals, local farmers, and food production and/or distribution operations coalesce in triple-bottom-line results that deliver positive social, environmental, and economic outcomes.
Highlights
Local Foods in Institutions Local food has been described as items grown within a specific geographic area or within a specific distance from the point of consumer purchase (Buck, 2012). George (2011) and Martinez et al (2010) note that definitions and attributes of local food vary greatly, but growers tend to perceive local as 20 to 50 miles (32 to 80 kilometers) from their farm
The purpose of this study was to understand, measure, catalogue, and evaluate what factors contributed to hospital foodservice directors (FSDs) purchasing or not purchasing local food for use in their operations
Ohio hospital FSDs expressed a definite interest in adopting or increasing the use of local foods in their operations; as noted above, there are several areas of concern that need to be addressed before widescale increases will be seen
Summary
Local Foods in Institutions Local food has been described as items grown within a specific geographic area or within a specific distance from the point of consumer purchase (Buck, 2012). George (2011) and Martinez et al (2010) note that definitions and attributes of local food vary greatly, but growers tend to perceive local as 20 to 50 miles (32 to 80 kilometers) from their farm. Over the past 10 years, the local food movement has significantly expanded across the country (Johnson, Aussenberg, & Cowan, 2013; Martinez et al, 2010; National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, 2013; Sanger & Zenz, 2004; Worley & Strobbe, 2012). This was in response, in part, to the disconnection of people from the “sources of their sustenance” A brief scan of the Internet will return numerous academic journals and posts from the popular press brimming with new research reports and feature stories on local food
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