What if I offered you the opportunity to consistently eliminate high healthcare food costs, overcooked or poorly seasoned food, or even low patient scores or bad healthcare foodservice reviews? Would you be interested in improving your healthcare foodservice program? Would it be a worthwhile trend?

This is all possible, and it exists at Kaiser Permanente in Harbor City, California, implemented by Chef Mitchel Ramos. Chef Ramos graciously gave me an hour of his time explaining his system and what makes him successful. What is this system?

Sous Vide. 

And I think this can be the next evolution in healthcare foodservice. The reasons are simple. Just reframe the opening question:

What if I offered you the opportunity to consistently achieve food cost, perfectly cooked food, high patient scores, and positive healthcare foodservice reviews?

Would you jump at the opportunity? Then consider implementing this style of sous vide cooking in your healthcare foodservice program.

Sous vide, which literally translates to "under vacuum," is a method of cooking food in an airtight plastic bag that is placed in a temperature-controlled water bath (or steam environment). The result is consistent product in which the employee merely has to cut open the bag and plate.

With sous vide, there is little room for error. You can utilize less expensive, flavorful, tough muscles, which transform into beautiful tender proteins. The short rib entree created by Chef Ramos is incredibly tender, evident by cutting it with a plastic fork. Succulent, flavorful, perfect.

What is stopping the industry from embracing this method? Can you see the benefits of sous vide cooking in healthcare? What’s your opinion? 

Learn more about improving hospitality and healthcare foodservice settings. Read the Bauscher Hepp Hospital & Care Catalog.