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

Food Service Manual for Health Care Institutions
510
Figure 16.1. Procurement System Flowchart
Input
Materials
Finances
Product Standards
Controls
Menu
Contracts
Laws, regulations
Finances
Records
Procurement, receiving,
storage, issuing
Feedback
Output
Meals
Quality
Quantity
Customer satisfaction
Once the menu has been planned, the product is selected for the specific cycle of the menu.
Quality food and supplies need to be specified for the intended use of the product. Food standards
are then developed that describe characteristics for a specific product and provide a quality
reference such as the grade of the product. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets
quality standards for meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. The U.S.
Department of Commerce (USDC) sets quality standards for fish and seafood.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determines and enforces standards of identity,
quality, and fill. Standards of identity define what a food product must contain to be called
a certain name—for example, the grade of meat. Standards of quality describe the ingredients
that go into a product and apply mainly to fruits and vegetables. The standards limit and define
the number and kinds of defects permitted. The standards establish minimum quality requirements.
A good example is fruit cocktail. Standards of fill regulate the quantity of food in a container.
They tell a packer how the container must be filled to avoid deceiving consumers. All these
standards are mandatory for foods in interstate commerce and may be voluntary for others.
The FDA is responsible for enforcing federal labeling requirements. A food is considered
misbranded if the label does not include adequate or mandatory information or provides