This document provides guidelines for proper food handling and storage to ensure patient safety. It outlines responsibilities for maintaining food temperatures, sanitation, hygiene, and storage. Specific instructions include washing dishes in a dishwasher, keeping food in the safe temperature zone, wearing gloves during preparation and delivery, and inspecting delivered food. Patient diets are often restricted and carefully monitored by dietitians.

1. Dietetic Services
&
Food Handling

2. Dietetic Services
o Proper handling and storage of food is essential to the
safety and health of our patients.
o It is the responsibility of everyone to ensure food items
are maintained properly.
o It is especially important for nurses, nursing
assistants, health unit coordinators, therapists, and
anyone else involved in the preparation, re-heating, or
delivery of the food items to ensure they are maintained
properly.

3. Dietetic Services
o Several measures must be taken to protect food from
possible contamination and microbial growth.
o These measures include:
• Good sanitation
• Strict observation of personal hygiene
• Keeping foods at the proper temperature
• Proper food storage
• Inspection of food products upon delivery

4. Sanitation
o It is best for all dishware to be washed in a dishwasher using
approved dishwasher soap.
o If a dishwasher is not available, any hand-washed dishes for
patient use must be washed using approved dish soap and
then sanitized in a bleach-water solution (1 capful of bleach to
1 gallon of water).
o All counters and sinks that are used for food preparation must
be cleaned using Virex 256 which is the currently approved
sanitizer.

5. Hygiene
Proper Food
Personal Hygiene Temperature
 Associates are to wash and  Food must remain in the “critical
maintain clean hands in temperature zone” (40 F – 135
accordance to hospital policy.
F) for as little time as possible to
 In addition to good hand prevent microbial growth.
washing, disposable gloves must
be worn at all times while  Foods that are easily susceptible
preparing food or assisting in to growth of microorganisms (ex.
food preparation to prevent
possible transmission of food- Tuna salad, milk products, etc.)
born illness. must be kept refrigerated at all
times below 40 F.

6. Food Storage
o The refrigerators in the nourishment rooms and ADL kitchens are for patient use
only.
o Food products must be labeled and dated to prevent confusion with other food items
that may be similar in appearance.
o All personal food items belonging to a patient must be labeled with their name and
the date placed in the refrigerator.
o No open containers are allowed in the refrigerators.
o All containers must have a non-absorbent cover to provide physical protection.
o Paper towels are not approved food storage covers.
o Food items must be stored in an area that is a low risk of contamination from other
foods and that can be cleaned.

7. Food Delivery
o Food items should be inspected when delivered to the patient
to ensure that they are at the proper temperature; have not
passed the expiration date; and are free of
dust, insects, mold, etc.
o Patient food items should be handled as little as possible.
o Gloves should be worn by the associate delivering food items.
o All ice for patient use should be dispensed through an
automatic self-service ice dispenser (unless it is out of service).
o If an automatic ice dispenser is not available, ice scoops or
tongs may be used.
o DO NOT USE HANDS to dispense ice.

8. Room/Patient Preparations
o The nursing staff is responsible for
clearing the over bed table and
sitting the patient up for the meal
prior to the arrival of the meal tray
to the patient’s room.

9. Dietetic Services
o Patient's are often on restricted diets when they are in the hospital
o The amount of calories, carbohydrates, salt, or even the amount of
water may be restricted
o Everything that patients take in is monitored and may have an
effect on their medical condition
o Never give a patient any food or drink without checking with the
nursing staff
o Nutritional referrals are done on admission and by nursing if the
patient is considered “at risk”
o A licensed dietitian is in-house 7 days/week to see patients in
house and/or meet with them after discharge.

10. Dietetic Services
o The Nutrition Care Manual is located on the intranet.
o Click on Dietetic Service under departments, then click on
Nutritional Care Manual under links.
o The Nutritional Care Manual is full of excellent information for
our patients. It contains the following information and more:
• Risk Screens
• Patient Education Materials
• Meal Plans
• Resources
• ADA catalog