VOLUME FEEDING - Institutional and Industrial Catering

VOLUME FEEDING IN INDIA

The difference between small and mass food production is very difficult to define. Most food standards, principles and a large number of techniques are the same. Some define quantity food production ( for volume feeding ) as the production of 25 or more portions. A report compiled by the National Restaurants Association lists food service units under two major groupings

1. Commercial or those establishments which are open to the public, are operated for profit and which may operate facilities and/or supply meal service on a regular the basis for others.
2. Non-commercial (as employee feeding in schools, industrial and non-commercial organisations), education, the government of institutional organisations which run their own foodservice operations. Food services in schools and universities, hospitals and other transportation armed services, industrial plants and correctional units are in the second group and may not show a profit or even balance out financially at the break-even point.

SALIENT FEATURES

1. To serve hygienically prepared wholesome food.
2. Food is primarily as a service to complement their other activities and contribute to the fulfilment of the objectives of the institute.
3. Cyclic menus
4. Not profit-oriented
5. An educational experience for those who are involved as they happen to experience different regional cuisine through the cyclic menus. As a result, food habits become more flexible.

Quantity control quantity control and portion control are very important. A good quality standard should cover essential characteristics that indicate quality in a product. Quality control programmes make it possible to serve as a consistent standard. Employee evaluation, taste panel, scoring customer reaction and other menus can be used to evaluate quality.

Good purchase specifications and finding the right product to suit the production need can do much to raise and maintain the quality standards. Proper forecasting of quantities needed in production and controlling portion size are two essentials of good quality controls. Portion size varies according to food, type of meal and patron, cost of the food, appearance. Adults, teenagers and small children consume different quantities and portion sizes vary from them. Men eat more than women, an individual doing hard work eats more than others doing sedentary tasks.

Giving liberal quantities of less costly foods and smaller ones of the more expensive foods can be practised. The portion appearance is affected by the portion size and shape of the dish, decoration and width of the rim, dish colour and food arrangement.

INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL CATERING

I. TYPES

•          Profit oriented - commercial canteens, restaurants, café, etc. within the premises catering to all the people (students, staff, visitors, etc.
•     Running on break-even - industrial canteens, college canteens catering to staff requirements only.
•       Subsidized - serving meals as a part of employee/ student welfare schemes.
•          Mostly Institutional and industrial catering are non-profit oriented.

II. MENU CONSIDERATIONS

•          Cyclic menu for regular meals and limited choice in canteens.
•          Nutritional requirements are kept in mind while planning the menu.
•          Reasonable prices consistent with service offered.
•          Menus are relatively simple, which can be prepared by limited kitchen staff in limited time.
•          Special menus are prepared for a special occasion like on festivals, functions and parties.

III. PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED

       

•   Menu fatigue
• Blending nutritional aspect with taste is a little difficult. E.g. porridge is a healthy food but most of the people do not like it.
• Portion control
• People eat in varied proportions, for example, men eat more than women, people doing physical labour eats more than those doing office work. 
• Staff serving food finds it difficult to meet the expectations of consumers. E.g.-everyone cannot be given a leg piece of chicken etc.
• Also a large number of people are to be fed in a limited time.
• Arranging adequate facilities and managing them is a challenge, as the space of dining hall, seating arrangements, food and water service, etc.
•  Chef has worked within tight budgets and yet has to meet the high expectations of consumers.