Minimum Nutritional Standards for Catering in Health and Social Care
- Project start date: 12 September 2016
- Project status: Completed
- Project type: Nutrition
- Discipline: Nutritional standards
- Principal researcher/s: The Public Health Agency, The Food Standards Agency and Safefood
Research objective
- In line with key objectives of the regional obesity prevention strategy A Fitter future for all 2012–2022, the Public Health Agency, Food Standards Agency and Safefood together developed minimum nutritional standards for catering in health and social care (HSC) settings in Northern Ireland.
- These standards support people working in Health Service catering businesses who want to offer consumers a choice of affordable, healthy and sustainable food.
Outputs
Research report
- Title: Minimum nutritional standards for catering in health and social care
- Publication date: 1 June 2017
- Summary: For staff and visitors across all catering and retail outlets and vending.
- Findings:
- The standards are food-based standards modelled on the Eatwell Guide.
- They apply to all facilities that serve food or beverages to staff or visitors operating within Health and Social Care settings. This includes catering facilities as well as privately owned retail units and vending machines.
- Recommendations:
- The standards should be adhered to when food contracts are being specified in the procurement process (the sourcing, buying and provision or tendering process), and should be applied when planning menus.
