The Role of Cook-Chill and Cook-Freeze Methods as Indicators of Quality of Nutrition Services in Hospital

Abstract

An outbreak of COVID-19 cases among food and nutrition department employees at a hospital kitchen occurred because it was difficult to maintain physical spacing between staff. There is a lack of people during self-isolation. However, the kitchen hospital must still operate 24 hours to provide meals. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate plate waste, and patient satisfaction, associated with cook-serve methods compared to cook-chill and cook-freeze methods. The first stage of this study is to determine nutritionally appropriate, microbiologically safe foods stored after the cook-chill and cook-freeze process and customer preferences through sensory aspects using CATA. The menu that has been chosen is three protein dishes and one vegetable dish. The second stage was an experimental study conducted in a general ward at an Indonesian private hospital. Two hundred ten patients (expected admittance ≥ two days) were served meals from cook-serve, cook-chill, and cook-freeze. Patients' satisfaction and food waste were measured. Intake at mealtimes was assessed through a visible portion size assessment method. Conclusion: The results show no significant difference in satisfaction and food waste in hospitalized patients between cook-serve and cook-c, hill, and cook-freeze methods for protein dishes and a significant difference for vegetable dishes. Cook-chill and cook-freeze potential to be implemented in a hospital kitchen.