Food Production Flow

Food Production Starts/Ends

Procurement and Customer service

FS Operation share these functions:

Purchasing and Receiving Storage Pre-Preparation Production Service Ware-washing and waste disposal

Sous Vide

Vacuum sealed packaging. Cooked at low temp (water)--rapidly cooled and stored in the refrigerator. Service: Heated by simmering the bag in water

Cook-Freeze

items partially cooked and rapidly frozen-held in freezer and reheated before service.

Commissary/ Centralized Foodservice

Central procurement and production kitchen with distribution of prepared menu items to several off-site facilities for final preparation and service. Most ingredients purchased have little or no processing. Designated baker, butcher Service/satellite centers

Advantages of commissary

Cost reduced by buying in bulk, equipement use centralized, location can be in a cheap part of town and be picked up for delivery

Advantages of conventional foodservice

Fresh quality, food served as soon as prep is done

Labor for Commissary: production vs service

Need highly skilled but not many for production less skilled for service, more for satellite Equipment is large scale

Disadvantages of commissary

Need investment for building and equipment. Need more skilled employees If equipment malfunctions will suck Think about transportation costs There is also a dissconnect with these preparing the food and serving the food to them.

Advantages of Ready Prepared foods:

1. Flexibility in production schedule: can free up more equipment use 2. Lower labor costs: can make larger amounts and kept until needed

Disadvantages of Ready Prepared foods:

1. Storage/ bigger freezer 2. Safety issues, not having correct holding temps and cooking methods--HACCP program implemented 3. Limits menu variety-can't freeze pasta 4.Recipe modifications needed--If broccoli smells

Cook-Chill

Items partially cooked and rapidly chilled- held in storage and reheated before service.

Disadvantage of conventional foodservice

Labor intensive and high skilled workers needed

Not an all or nothing system

Many food service are a combination of these different kitchens.

Ready Prepared food service

These are produced and chilled/ frozen until needed. Not for immediate service but for inventory and subsequent withdrawal.

Assembly-Serve

These are the kitchen-less stations. Food ready available, purchased cooked stored assembled heated and served. Can be found at Gas Stations under heated lamps

Conventional Foodservice

Traditional method where items are prepared closer to serving time--do not use extensive holding times. Production, distribution and service all onsite--may be delivered elsewhere