Funkcjonowanie kontroli wewnętrznej w kuchniach zapewniających żywienie dla szpitali w Małopolsce

Supervision over food quality and safety, in the establishments providing nutrition for hospitals included, is based on an internal and external control system. The aim of the study was to assess the degree of implementation and the functioning of the HACCP system in nutrition departments and catering companies providing nutrition for hospital patients in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. The answers obtained in 2019 through the means of diagnostic survey using a questionnaire addressed to employees responsible for the organization of nutrition were evaluated. Out of 47 facilities from Małopolska, to which an invitation to participate in the study was sent, feedback was received from 27 hospitals, including: 11 provincial, 9 district/ municipal, 6 clinical and 1 private. 14 units (52%) had their own kitchen, while 12 (44%) hospitals used the services of a catering company that provided patients with meals from their own kitchen. Only 1 hospital reported that it uses a catering company that leases kitchen space in a given facility. The tray system for distributing meals to patients was used only in 33.3% of the surveyed hospitals. A fully implemented HACCP system was declared by most of the participating facilities, and only 2 hospitals reported that the company providing nutrition is still at the stage of its implementation. Most facilities (88.9%) declared the continuous implementation of the HACCP system for over 4 years. Among the facilities participating in the study, 6 hospitals reported that they had the ISO 22000 certificate, which confirms the high standard of food safety management. There are however deficiencies in the practical functioning of selected HACCP and GMP system rules in the analyzed facilities. Hospital administration employees should increase supervision over the functioning of the HACCP system in nutrition departments or catering companies preparing meals for patients.