The Kitchen of Doctor Balmis Hospital in Alicante Reveals Its Secrets to 60 Gastronomy Students from UA

Approximately 60 students from the Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Degree at the University of Alicante (UA) visited the facilities of the Doctor Balmis University General Hospital to gain first-hand insight into the operation of the Kitchen Service, responsible for preparing meals for inpatients. This initiative was coordinated by the degree's professors, Raúl Cornet and José Manuel Fernández, the latter also a chef at the hospital.

According to Fernández, "within the framework of the subject 'Immersion and Experimentation in the Kitchen', it is essential to delve into the operation of different types of culinary facilities, something difficult to understand without direct experience." Hence, this visit was promoted, "which allows students to gain deeper insight into how a large-scale kitchen like that of Doctor Balmis Hospital, which has nearly 800 beds and serves hundreds of patients daily, is managed and operated."

The teachers divided the students into two groups, who visited the centre on separate days in April. During the tour, accompanied by the Head of the Kitchen Service, Pablo Ortiz, the Economic Deputy Director, Héctor Miguel Rojo, and the contractor company's manager at the centre, Germán Rodríguez, the students were shown the different work areas, such as the cooking zone, the cold room, the plating area, etc. In each area, they were provided with detailed information on key aspects such as food safety records, product traceability, and allergen management.

The manager of the Alicante General Hospital Health Department, Francisco Soriano, positively valued "the interest shown by the professors and students of the UA's Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Degree" and highlighted "their commitment to understanding first-hand the operation of an essential hospital service."

The Kitchen Service of the Alicante centre prepares an average of 500 meals daily, adapted to the diets prescribed by doctors to aid patient recovery. Throughout 2024, a total of 620,024 complete meals, including breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner, were served to cover the 179,912 stays recorded by 31,804 inpatients.

As explained by the Head of the Kitchen, Pablo Ortiz, "we have a catalogue of about thirty different diets which, with their variations, add up to more than 70 different options. Alongside the basal diet, which has no restrictions, we find therapeutic diets, where food, preparation, and quantity modifications are made for health reasons. These include soft, astringent, low-fat, gluten-free, dysphagia, pregnant, lactose-free diets, among others."

All diets are prepared daily in the centre's kitchen facilities. "We are committed to healthy menus, based on the Mediterranean diet, with seasonal foods, including a minimum of three servings of dried legumes per week," Ortiz emphasized, adding that "all the broths we currently serve are natural and prepared daily."

Another notable aspect of the service is that it allows patients to choose between two options for the first course and two for the second, depending on their diet. Through a QR code, with usage instructions available in the rooms, patients access an application where they can select their menu for the next day; except for those with prescribed bariatric, liquid, hydric diets, etc.

Another significant improvement implemented in recent years has been the cooking system with and without salt, the same sources add. "Previously, food was cooked without salt and individual sachets were provided to those who could consume it. However, for the past two years, we have been making two different preparations, with and without salt. This allows salt to be incorporated during cooking, achieving a more uniform distribution of flavours," Ortiz explained.