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.

Produced by WRAP, the menu planning webcast assists you in reducing the impact of waste, which we are all aware is a key focus for us all. This builds upon the work we did jointly did with WRAP with the screencasts which offer a step-by-step guide enabling hospital caterers to reduce food and associated packaging waste and to recycle more.