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

An assembly-and-serve system requires minimal use of skilled labor. Labor costs should
decrease if the foods used in the system are at a maximum convenience level. However, labor savings
must compensate for the higher food costs characteristic of an assembly-and-serve system.
The system should eliminate the need for most standard production equipment, but in
many cases it does not. Many operations are reluctant to abandon the option of on-premises
production in case the quality, availability, or cost of the prepared items fails to meet expected
standards. Thus, a primary economic advantage is lost.
Questions related to the feasibility of implementing an assembly-and-serve system include
the following:
• Do available products meet the operation’s nutrition standards for normal and modified
diets?
• Are enough products available to provide variety throughout the menu cycle?
• Do products meet the quality standards of the operation and its customers?
• Is the cost per serving within an acceptable range?
• Is the operation’s storage space sufficient for handling disposable ware?
• Will changes be required in the type and amount of equipment needed for reheating foods?
• Is the facility’s refrigerator and freezer space adequate?
• How many labor hours can be eliminated with this system?
• How will tray assembly and delivery be performed?
• Will additional packaging materials create waste disposal problems?
In an assembly-and-serve system, attention must be paid to preventing microbiological
contamination at critical control points. Some of the hazards present in other systems are eliminated
because there is little or no on-premises food preparation. The amount of freezer and
refrigeration space needed for storing and thawing frozen foods before final heating exceeds
that needed in cook-and-serve systems. Thawing or tempering frozen products must be carried
out under refrigeration, and storage times for purchased chilled foods should be kept to a minimum.
Perishable foods must be maintained at 41°F (5°C) or lower during portioning, assembly,
and distribution. In the reheating stage, foods must reach temperatures of at least 140°F
(60°C) as rapidly as possible. For maximum safety and palatability, an end-point temperature
of 165°F (74°C) is recommended for most hot foods. Food temperatures should be routinely
checked before service. As in other systems, personnel and equipment sanitation are essential
to control microbiological hazards.
Production Forecasting
In addition to determining the type of food production system (or combination of systems) to
be implemented, the food service director must decide which forecasting technique is appropriate
for the food service operation. Forecasting is the process of estimating a future event
based on past data; it is also determining how much of which product to produce. Because most
food production systems require extensive advanced preparation of menu items, productiondemand
forecasting is critical to satisfying customer expectations. Some operations now use
a computer-based information system to forecast production levels. In selecting a system for
forecasting, it is important to choose a system that is user friendly, where the cost is within
budget allocations, and that can be programmed for the facility’s food service department for
its specific production system.
Forecasting Techniques
Forecasting techniques can be divided into three categories: subjective, time-series, and causal
models. A subjective technique is the simplest model. This technique uses information, experience,
and intuition to determine the amount of product to produce. This technique works well
Food Production
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