Chapter 1

FOOD SERVICE SYSTEM

 Foodservice system
• A system is a set or arrangement of things
to form a whole.
• Food service system is a unit composed of
subsystems designed and functioning
together to accomplish specific objectives.
System diagram
 System
• For any system to function , there are two
essential components input and output.
• The input of a system is the drive that starts the
entire system and results in an output.
• Feedback helps in assessing the functioning of a
system.
• Foodservice system is relatively complex, since it
entails several variable factors ,such as consumer
acceptance, training and motivation, and quality
control
Growth of the Foodservice Industry
• The foodservice industry is an integral part of
economy of the United State of America .
According to the National Restaurant
Association (NRA), The foodservice industry is
entering its tenth consecutive year of real
growth. Foodservice sales equal nearly 5% of
the U.S gross national product
(NDP).foodservice receives 42% of all
consumer expenditures for food.
An integrated program in which
procurement, storage, preparation,
service of food and beverages, and the
equipment and methods required to
accomplish set objectives are fully
coordinated for minimum labor,
optimum customer satisfaction, quality
and cost control.
 Factors affecting the growth of
foodservice industry
• Consumer trends.
• Discriminating customers (customers are demanding
more sophisticated entrees and are becoming more
quality conscious.)
• Diversity (Today consumer also wants diversity and
variety when dining away from home)
• Grazing : grazing refers to the food patrons desire to
try a little of this and a little of that .
• Economic factors
• Legislative and regulatory factors
 Types of foodservices
• Fast-food/quick foodservices (the term fast refers to the service than to
the food)
• Midpriced restaurant :offer food at moderate price, many family
restaurants fall into this category.
• Upscale restaurant: consumer visiting these facilities are looking for a
dining experience that is unique and memorable.
• Take-out foodservice facilities: such items like pizza,pasta,and ice
cream.
• Hotel/Motel foodservices.
• Food services in Health-Care facilities.
• Foodservices in Business and industry.
• Foodservices in educational institutions.
• Community foodservices (Several government-sponsored programs
provide foods or foodservice for special segments of the population or
for special occasions like WIC( Women, infant, and children) program.
Classification of foodservice system
Four types of foodservice operations:

• Conventional or traditional
• Ready prepared
• Commissary
• Assembly / serve
 Conventional Foodservice

• Foods are purchased in various stages of preparation for

individual operation
• Production, distribution, & service are completed on same
premises
• Conventional system uses less processed food than does a
convenience system.
• May be distributed to adjacent or nearby serving area
(cafeteria or dining room)
• Hospitals or healthcare facilities – food served on trays
• Following production, foods are held hot or refrigerated to be
served as soon as possible
Conventional Foodservice
 Conventional Foodservice
Advantages:
• Menu items are prepared near to service time and hence
quality is maintained.
Disadvantages:
• Hot-holding conditions affected by temperature, humidity, &
length of holding time.
• Nutritional & sensory quality can be adversely affected
 Conventional Foodservice
The two types of Conventional foodservice are
Centralized and Decentralized Services

Centralized service

• Individual patient trays assembled in or close to production area

• Time between production, assembly and distribution is minimal
• Trays are assembled at a central location
• Trays are distributed to patient units using carts(heated/ refrigerated)

Advantages:
▪ Activity takes place in one location
▪ Allows standardization of portion
▪ Uniformity in presentation
▪ Waste reduction
▪ Less time of staff
 Conventional Foodservice
Decentralized service
• distributed in bulk quantities for tray assembly close to
patients’ rooms (galley in hospital wing)
• Foods are produced in one location and transported to
various locations for assembly at sites near patients
• Equipment to maintain proper temp. is provided at each
location
• To difficult-to-hold foods, cooking equipment is available in
service units
Advantages:
▪ Less time needed
▪ Group services are easy
 Ready Prepared Foodservice

• Evolved because of increased labor costs &

shortage of skilled personnel
• Menu items produced & chilled or frozen until
heated for service later
• Produced for inventory & subsequent
withdrawal
• Readily available at any time for final assembly
& heating for service
 Ready Prepared Foodservice
• Cook-chill – partially cooked,
rapidly chilled, held in chilled
storage, & reheated just prior
to service
– Use remains limited
throughout industry
• Cook-freeze - partially cooked,
rapidly frozen, held in freezer
storage, & reheated just prior
to service
– Frozen from 2 weeks to 3
months
 Ready Prepared Foodservice
• Adopted to reduce labor expenditures & use
staff more effectively
• Production designed to meet future rather
than immediate needs
• Production personnel can be scheduled for
regular hours (no early/late shifts)
• Does not require as many highly skilled
employees
 Ready Prepared Foodservice
• Ready food systems are most
applicable to large group:
1. Hospitals
2. Banquet hall
3. Catering firms (airlines)
4. Schools
• The system provides highly
individualized service (e.g.,
special diets in hospitals).
• Ready foods can be transported
over long distance to colleges
with more than one campus.
 Ready Prepared Foodservice
Advantages:
1. Reducing wasting.
2. Increasing predicting accuracy.
3. Decreasing labor costs.
Disadvantages:
1. Very costly initial investment in equipment and
storage space
2. Not all food products can be prepared
3. Required to have back up generator system in
the event that the main generators fail.
 Ready Prepared Foodservice
• Sous – vide (vacuum cooking) Most recent and innovative approach for
dish preservation Includes vacuum packing of raw, fresh food items in
plastic pouches to allow chilled storage & then cooking in boiling water
prior to service
– suited to individual meals
– Requires more investment and time
– Used in restaurants and not used in large- scale
– Only licensed food processors can perform sous vide process
– Improper handling can cause microbiological health hazards
 Commissary system
• Characterized by food production in a central location with
distribution to the service outlet.
• Commissary system obtains food products that have
received limited or no processing.
• Expensive multifunction equipment is often required in the
commissary for preparation of foods from the unprocessed
state.
• Commissaries enable the use of the specialization concept
regarding employees, equipment and the physical facility.
 Commissary system
Advantages:
1. Production costing accuracy
2. Increased computer usage
3. Reduced labor turnover
4. Better working conditions
5. Better pay
6. Higher efficiency
7. More steady and organized work flow.

Disadvantage:
• Overcapitalization: heavy capital investment in equipment and facilities.
Assembly / Convenience Foodservice
• Assembly/ Serve Pre-prepared foods are purchased
from food processing industry and reconstituted in
premises It can be frozen or boil-in-the bag type
• Used in fast-food industry usually health care
institutions, hospitals and restaurants
• In cafeteria style of serving of foods it need to be
heated before serving and is done in a service unit
using the “ready prepared operation” Usually single-
use disposal tableware is used
Assembly / Convenience Foodservice
– Food service systems
that use a maximal
amount of processed
foods.
– Food production in the
firm usually only
involves reheating at
the time of service.
– This system was
developed in response
to chronic shortage of
skilled production
personnel in
foodservice (Cooks).
 Assembly / Convenience Foodservice:
➢ less preparation equipment
➢ more storage space (frozen storage area)
➢ less energy and fewer production and service personnel.
Advantages :
1. Tighter labor control
2. Increased staff productivity
3. Reduced requirements for highly trained and expensive production employee
4. Reduced system complexity
5. More potential profit
6. Increased potential number of meals served
7. More consistent quality

Disadvantages:
1.Higher prices for finished food products
2.Possible supplier out of stock on convenience items
3.Low quality of some convenience foods
4.Questionable customer acceptance.
5. High cost for operating the duplicate heating equipment
6. Additional freezer space is required