Sustainable Food Purchasing in the Health Care Sector: From Ideals to Institutionalization

Klein, Kendra; Newbrey, Jenna; Sirois, Emma

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-813617-1.00011-3

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Indeed, the more ingredients present in a food product, the more difficult it is to geographically define. It is interesting that the definition of “local” used by Healthcare Without Harm for multi-ingredient foods only require that 50% of ingredients, by weight, be grown and/or processed within a 240-mile radius of the healthcare facility ( 21 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is, however, important to recognize that these rigorous food safety requirements also present hurdles for smaller producers, who face increased expenses associated with delivering evidence of compliance ( 20 , 21 ). An encouraging development though has seen the Australian Government working with Industry to develop a national approach to agriculture traceability systems ( 34 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Contracts are negotiated to be responsive to different foodservice production models, demand for ingredient consistency and volume, food safety and streamlined procurement and delivery ( 19 , 20 , 23 ). Nevertheless, farm-to-hospital procurement programs supported by Health Care Without Harm have been achieved in the United States by setting clearly defined targets and definitions, facilitating hospital connections with local farmers and food hubs, providing staff education and resources, auditing hospital compliance and celebrating achievements ( 21 ). In the United Kingdom, local food procurement has been identified by the National Health Service, as one strategy it will employ in its efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 ( 24 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Realizing this requires moving away from the traditional procurement model in healthcare of using group purchasing organizations (GPO). Indeed there are a number of studies, that have identified GPOs as a barrier to the "local-food-to-institution" agenda (19)(20)(21). Another study by Carino et al (22) found that hospital staff perceived procurement to be restricted by current supply contracts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Origins of Food Supplied to an Australian Public Hospital

et al. 2022

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Local food procurement by public institutions such as hospitals offers multiple benefits including stimulating the local economy, creating jobs, and building resilience within the food supply. Yet no published study has attempted to quantify the local food purchase by hospitals. This baseline is needed to identify gaps, set targets, and monitor change. The objective of this study was to investigate the origin of food supplied to a metro tertiary public hospital and to describe the proportion of food budget spent on items with ingredients grown in Australia and “locally” within the state of Victoria. Food procurement data were collected and analyzed during October 2020-April 2021. All items purchased by the cook fresh kitchen supplying meals to inpatients and two childcare centres during an 8-day menu cycle period were audited. Following an inspection of food packaging labels to determine country of origin, data on the proportion of Victorian content were collected from manufacturers and suppliers of foods containing Australian ingredient. Almost 80% of the food budget (AU $17,748 and 200 items) was spent on items containing significant (at least 75%) Australian content, while 11% was spent on entirely imported foods. The specific geographic origins of 55% of the budget spent on “Australian” food remain unknown as information from manufacturers and suppliers was not available. Where data were available, 3% of food budget was attributed to entirely Victorian grown foods, including fresh fruit, vegetables, and poultry. A considerable proportion of Australian grown foods are purchased by this hospital, but it is largely unknown whether these are local, from the state of Victoria, or not. Tracing and sharing of food origin data, a clear definition for “local” food, and an understanding of Victorian food growing industries are needed to progress the “local food to hospital” agenda.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Origins of Food Supplied to an Australian Public Hospital

et al. 2022

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“…Since the early 2000s, the healthcare sector has become more active in farm-to-hospital endeavors, as healthcare delivery entities, medical professional associations, and nonprofits began advocating for hospitals to play a larger role in promoting different and sustainable food production practices for better public health outcomes through their food procurement (Klein et al, 2019). Many professional healthcare associations, from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Public Health Association, have passed outward-facing resolutions that link the operational decisions made by hospitals (such as food procurement) to sustainable agriculture and human health (AMA, 2009; American Planning Association, n.d.).…”

Section: Introduction and Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

2022

J. Agric. Food Syst. Community Dev.

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On our cover: Kanoa Dinwoodie (at right), the owner and operator of organic-certified Feral Heart Farm in Sunol, California, shows children how to properly harvest blackberries. Kanoa specializes in seed production and diasporic Asian crops. He participated in the "agroecology encounters" research described in author Antonio Roman-Alcalá's commentary in this issue, "Five practical strategies for those who work for food systems change."

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Quantifying the locality of the food supply in a large healthcare organisation

Utter,

Mole,

Johnston

et al. 2024

Nutrition & Dietetics

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AimShocks to the food system (such as extreme weather events, wars, and pandemics) are felt by institutional food systems. For hospitals, these shocks affect the quantity, quality, and variety of foods that can be offered to patients. One strategy to buffer the hospital food supply from external threats is to prioritise ingredients produced locally. Thus, the aim of the current research is to describe the country of origin of all foods purchased by a large, metropolitan healthcare organisation and to identify opportunities for improving the locality of the food supply.MethodsThis study was of a cross‐sectional, observational design. The country of origin for all foods procured over a 1‐year period by a large, urban healthcare organisation was determined by proportion of food budget spend. State of origin was identified for fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat. The organisation was in Queensland, Australia and utilised a cook‐fresh, room‐service foodservice model. Descriptive analysis was used to to determine the number of items and the proportion of budget spend on all foods produced in Australia, and by food category. Similar descriptive statistics were generated to determine the proportion of the budget spend on fresh fruits, vegetables and meats produced in Queensland.ResultsOver the 1‐year period, 659 individual food items were purchased by the hospital foodservice, and 502 food items were included in the anlaysis. In total, 53% of the food budget was spent on Australian foods (100% Australian ingredients) and almost all fruit (73%) and vegetables (91%) were Australian grown. Procuring fresh fruit (28%), vegetables (35%), and meat (46%) from within the state was less common, and this may reflect the primary states of production across Australia, and seasonal variability of the food supply.ConclusionsFindings offer priority areas for improving the locality of the food supply. Future research to determine if procuring more foods locally has benefits to consistency of the food supply is warranted.

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Sustainable Food Purchasing in the Health Care Sector: From Ideals to Institutionalization

Cited by 6 publications

References 19 publications

The Origins of Food Supplied to an Australian Public Hospital

The Origins of Food Supplied to an Australian Public Hospital

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Quantifying the locality of the food supply in a large healthcare organisation

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