Module 3: Transformation and Functional Subsystem
Project Group 2
Nutrition 448 | Professor Tracee Watkins
Chapter 4: Test Your Knowledge questions 1, 2, 3, 5
1. How does sous vide differ from cook-chill?
Sous vide is vacuum packing the unprepared food, partially cooking and then chilled to be held at safe
food temperatures for an extra three weeks. The cooking occurs in low temperature, circulating water.
Whereas cook-chill is fully preparing the food, fully chill the items, portion on plates then reheated
when ready to serve. The food is reheated by microwaves or convection ovens. This method allows for
the food to be saved from a couple of weeks to a couple of months.
2. Why are cook-chill and cook-freeze food service operations referred to as ready prepared?
Both methods are considered ready prepared because that are fully ready to serve after a short
reheating, can be held at frozen temperatures for multiple months and need minimal effort and skills
after the initial cooking to fully prepare the items.
3. Food in the local school district is prepared at the middle school kitchen, placed in steam table
pans, and then transported to several elementary schools to be served to children there. Is this an
example of centralized or a decentralized service? Why?
This is an example of “decentralized service” because the food is being prepared in a location separate
from production (i.e the middle school kitchen). Centralized service would be when the food is prepared
within the elementary school itself.
5. How and why would lighting and ventilation needs differ between the dining area and the kitchen
used to prepare food in a university dining center?
The kitchen area would need higher grade lighting as well as stronger ventilation in order to ensure
cleanliness and fume control within the food prep areas.
Chapter 5: Test Your Knowledge questions 1, 2, 5, 6
1. What are the four areas in the procurement subsystem?
The four areas in the procurement subsystem is purchasing, receiving, storage and inventory of the
products.
2. How are receiving, storage, and inventory linked with purchasing?
Each of these three areas are linked to purchasing because without even one of them a foodservice
system would not be possible. A good receiving line is important to ensure the quality of the product
before purchasing. A quality storage unit is vital to ensure that the products stay fresh after purchasing
until distribution, Finally, inventory is important to be sure all these conditions are being met, as well as
ensuring that theft is not a part of the equation. Keeping track of all foods bought, disposed of, as well
as sold.
5. At the beginning of May, the foodservice operation had $95,000 of food in inventory. During the
month of May a total of $210,000 in food was purchased. At the end of May, food in inventory was
valued at $89,000. What was the cost of food for the month of May?
We find the cost of food by adding the monthly purchases to the beginning inventory, then subtracting
the final inventory from that sum.
$95,000 + $210,000 = $305,000 - $89,000 = $216,000 Cost of food for May
6. Using the inventory information in problem 5, calculate the inventory turnover for the month of
May.
Inventory turnover is determined by dividing the food cost but the average food inventory.
The average food inventory is the beginning inventory plus the ending inventory, divided by two.
95,000 + 89,000 = $184,000/2 = $92,000 Average food inventory
$216,000/$92,000 = 2.35 inventory turnover - Desirable!
Chapter 7: Test Your Knowledge questions 1, 3
1. Discuss how type of production system, degree of meal preassembly, physical distance from
production to service, and amount of time between production and service impact the distribution
and service subsystem.
These factors of distribution, due to production, impact the distribution and service subsystem because
first the time between completing the production of food and service time increases, and so does the
options for distribution practices and equipment. The temperature and quality of the food are kept due
to the limited time between completing the production of food and the time it is served to customers.
Hot and cold holding equipment is an absolute necessity for various items on a menu when the time of
either production and service increase. In a setting where conventional production is used special
distribution equipment is not necessary.
3. Explain three categories of service.
Table service is a category of service where guests are given service by a member of the waitstaff who
take guest orders which are then communicated to the kitchen where food is prepared and then
delivered to the guests table. Three main types of table service include American style, which includes
plating the food in the kitchen and then presenting the dish to the guest, French style, where food is
cooked and served at the table, and family style table service that involves presenting large platters or
bowls of food to the table and then is passed around and served by the guests. Another category of
service is takeout service. This type of service is focused around providing easy, on-the-go meals that
can be ordered, prepared, and then picked up by the customer to be eaten at a separate location of
their choosing. Finally, delivery service involves customers ordering from the foodservice organization
which then prepares the meals and delivers the food to an office or home location of the customers
choosing. Depending on the food being ordered the food service organization may need additional
equipment such as insulated containers or coolers to provide foods that are within the optimal
temperatures for serving.