New guidelines have been issued by the British Sandwich & Food to Go Association for supplying ready-to-eat chilled foods, including sandwiches, for feeding patients in hospitals and healthcare settings.

The guidelines, which are designed to minimise the risks from bacterial growth in the hot environments that exist in healthcare settings, include setting a maximum 2-day shelf-life and restricting some of the ingredients used.   There is also a requirement for clear and bold temperature labelling on packs.

 “While in most cases bacteria, such as Listeria Monocytogenes, do not represent a danger to public health, they can present a risk to vulnerable patients in high-risk categories, including pregnant women, newborn babies, those aged over 80 and those with suppressed immune systems, including those undergoing cancer treatment, transplants etc.,” says BSA Director Jim Winship

 “This risk is accentuated by the high temperatures in hospitals and other healthcare settings as well as the time it can take for products to be delivered around wards.”

 The Association has also set up a free registration for hospital catering managers and food safety officers so that they can receive direct communications from the BSA.   The registration can be found here.

The BDA Food Services Specialist Group are delighted to present the third edition of the Nutrition and Hydration Digest – updated for 2023. 

Nutrition & Hydration in Mental Health & Learning Disability Inpatient Settings: Supplement to the BDA Nutrition & Hydration Digest

On 7 May 2019, local investigations were intensified in North West England after two patients contracted listeriosis in the same hospital and subsequently died.