Food-Service-Manual-for-Health-Care-Institutions

Chapter 16
Product Selection
Product selection (food, service ware, and preparation equipment) is a critical factor in meeting
customer expectations, adhering to nutrition guidelines, and containing expenses for a
health care food service operation. The purchasing agent for the department must be knowledgeable
about food and ingredients, menu patterns, and production and service systems before
he or she can select food supplies with any degree of accuracy and cost-effectiveness.
In this chapter, basic information is presented on all the food groups—meats and seafood,
eggs and egg products, milk and other dairy products, fruits and vegetables, grains and cereals,
and beverages. Specifically, topics on meat inspection, meat grades, meat specifications, and
processed meats are presented. The same is done for most of the other food groups so that a
purchaser can make informed and economical choices that will complement rather than hamper
operation controls. The latest technology for protecting the food supply is also described.
Food substitutes and equivalents are addressed, as are national and local regulations
regarding interstate and intrastate purchasing decisions. Food nutrients, federal standards of
quality, and methods of food processing also are described. For example, the fat content of
dairy products, moisture content of dehydrated foods, and hydrogenation features of various
oils are examined.
In the system model, the first process in the transformation system is procurement (Figure
16.1). There must be constant feedback at all steps of the system and subsystems. Procurement,
the first subsystem, is defined as securing needed food, supplies, and equipment for the production
subsystem, the second subsystem in the transformation system. Procurement also
includes following all laws, regulations, and ethical considerations; maintaining the established
budget; keeping records; and securing products to assist in meeting the customers’ needs and
wants (outputs).
The procurement subsystem has numerous activities or processes that must be carried out,
as shown in Figure 16.2. Each of these activities has laws, regulations, contracts, policies, and
procedures that must be followed. Constant feedback needs to be made to the food service
director to ensure that needed supplies have been acquired ethically and are accounted for by
an audit trail.
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