CHI Health in Omaha, Neb., reconfigured a cook-chill food preparation system, a centralized tray system and a retherm cart delivery system to get greater diversity and higher-quality food in a restaurant-style menu, according to an article on the Food Service Equipment & Supplies website.

The food service team anticipates a significant decrease in food waste because patients will be able to select menu items they like.

The central kitchen serves as the heart of patient food production and also produces menu items for retail operations. It contains two floor mixers, two convection ovens, a deck oven, a tilt skillet, a tilt kettle, an eight-burner range, a grill, steamers and a fryer the article said.

Here, staff prepare sauces, soups, gravies, side dishes such as mashed potatoes and entrees such as roast turkey and roast beef using a 100-gallon kettle and a cook tank. Staff place freshly cooked food in bags, vacuum-pack the food and place it into a tumbler chiller.

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