Capital Region introduces new food policy in hospitals

The Capital Region has implemented a new food and meal policy aimed at providing better meals for patients in the region’s hospitals. The policy sets goals and expectations for how food should be an active part of the treatment.

The food should be tailored to the individual needs of the patients, and nutritional intake should be recorded in the journal if the patient is at risk of malnutrition. At the same time, hospital kitchens should use climate-friendly ingredients to the greatest extent possible.

Chairman of the Health Committee, Christoffer Buster Reinhardt (K), emphasizes the importance of the new policy:

-“More than every third patient admitted to the region’s hospitals is at nutritional risk. Patients who do not receive the right nutrition may experience complications, and it may take them longer to recover,” he says and continues, “Food is an important part of the foundation for overall treatment and care at the hospital, just as medicine is, and we underscore that with the new food policy.”

The hospitals have already taken several initiatives in this area, and the new policy is meant to support and further develop that work. Vice Chairman of the Health Committee, Sofie de Bretteville Olsen (S), highlights specific examples:

-“Hospital kitchens have managed to develop and improve the food that patients receive today. At Herlev Hospital, there is the option to choose à la carte meals, which has reduced food waste. The hospital also has a project where elderly, frail individuals can receive food for the first 24 hours after discharge to their own home. At Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, the kitchen has received a gold certification in organic food, meaning that between 90 to 100 percent of the food is organic. The good work must continue, and the hospitals should use the new food policy as a guideline,” she says.

The new food and meal policy emphasizes that the food should be tasty, nutritious, and diverse. Patient-specific needs should also be taken into account.

-“At hospitals, there are competent staff with expertise in nutrition, and they should continue to be involved in meal planning. Patient needs must also be considered, and experimentation with food should not occur during hospitalization. The food should be tasty and preferably familiar,” says Christoffer Buster Reinhardt.

Sofie de Bretteville Olsen adds:

-“We must ensure that sick and weakened patients receive the amount of energy and protein they need, while considering their individual requirements,” she says.

Patients should still be able to order or be offered relevant meals both during and outside of the kitchen’s opening hours. In addition, relatives should have the option to purchase the same food as the patients so they can share a meal during the hospital stay.

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