It is now part of the national standards for healthcare food and drink, meaning that all NHS Trusts in England must comply with the nutrition standards outlined in the Digest as part of the legally binding NHS standard contract.
Liz Stockley, chief executive of the BDA said in the foreword: “This document is for everyone working within the healthcare food service setting. To reduce the incidence and prevalence of malnutrition, there must be a multi-professional and multi-agency approach to delivering high quality, nutritious, appropriate and safe food and drink services.
“The Nutrition and Hydration Digest is a vital resource that supports the new National standards for healthcare food and drink. The third edition has been updated to reflect the increasing importance of the role of the food service dietitian and incorporates new higher protein targets for hospital meals.”
The Digest provides expert knowledge and support for professionals working in the healthcare food service sector. It contains chapters including:
- The significance of nutrition & hydration
- The role of the food service dietitian
- Key national food legislation & standards
- Environmental sustainability
- Staff & visitor wellbeing
- Food procurement, service systems, safety & waste
- Catering specifications & tenders
- Nutrition analysis & food labelling
- Menu planning & design
- Nutrition standards
- Menu capacity analysis
- Menu coding, therapeutic diets & patient groups
Andy Jones, former chair of the PSC100 Group, added: "The third edition of the BDA Digest [has] officially launched. A new chapter on environmental sustainability and new protein targets for nutritionally vulnerable patients. A must have for NHS care caterers.”