Evaluation of good practice procedures in hospital Nutrition and Dietary Services

Abstract

The hospital Nutrition and Dietetics Service (NDS) must be attentive to the production of safe meals, since they are intended for patients with low immunity, who are more likely to develop foodborne illnesses. This study aimed to evaluate good practices in two hospital NDSs, regarding food preparation and storage, hygiene of fruit and vegetables and collection of samples of food prepared and served to patients and employees of these locations. Observational cross-sectional study, carried out on five consecutive days in September 2024, in the initial stage of the mandatory curricular internship in Institutional Food of the nutrition course at a university in Rio Grande do Sul, which involves the observation of the functioning of the place, carried out by two interns in two small hospital SNDs, called SND 1 and SND 2 for the present study, located in Serra Gaúcha/Rio Grande do Sul. For data collection, the following criteria were evaluated: pre-prepared and prepared products, hygiene of fruit and vegetables, and collection of samples of prepared foods contained in Ordinance No. 799, of September 6, 2023, of the Health Department of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. The results showed that SND 1 obtained 90.00% compliance in relation to the evaluated criteria. SND 2, on the other hand, had a 70.00% compliance rate. It is concluded that both SNDs demonstrated good hygienic-sanitary conditions, as they met most of the inspection criteria evaluated, with SND 1 showing greater compliance with the legislation in relation to SND 2. This study demonstrates the importance of applying the checklist in food services, as a way of inspecting inadequacies, which must be corrected so that they do not compromise good food handling practices in these services and enable the provision of safe food to patients and employees at these locations.