Specialist Nutrition Made Easy
Why Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional?
It’s specialist nutrition made easy
WITH most care homes catering for between three and 19 per cent of residents with specialist dietary needs, it’s more important than ever to ensure that homes have the right catering solutions in place to meet those needs.
That is why Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional is a powerful opportunity for homes looking to enhance their specialist nutrition offer and meet the complex dietary needs of residents.
Whether that is catering for those living with swallowing difficulties (also known as dysphagia), with one or more of the 14 known food allergens, or those residents who may be at risk of malnutrition.
When you choose to work with us, you are benefiting from a partnership that brings together the combined expertise of apetito, with more than 30 years of experience in serving care homes and hospitals, and the local delivery network and good old-fashioned service that Wiltshire Farm Foods is renowned for.
This means that every home can benefit from our award-winning specialist ranges, even when not taking the full-service solution from apetito.
We also offer the perfect solution for smaller homes (with under 30 beds), who are looking for a broader meals service provision that they can mobilise day-to-day, delivering high quality meals in a way that is simple and cost effective to manage.
Providing high quality solutions for those requiring specialist dietary requirements can be a significant challenge for care homes and smaller institutions, particularly when faced with labour shortages and cost challenges.
Wiltshire Farm Foods
Professional can help you to combat this and ensure that all residents have access to a nutritious and delicious meal that is safe for their individual needs – all with ease and convenience for your kitchen. We understand the importance and value of mealtime enjoyment for residents and believe that everyone should be able to dine with dignity whilst eating meals that support their health and well-being. These values are reflected in our world leading texture modified
meal ranges that are made in line with International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative guidance, providing safety in every bite.
Within our Specialist Nutrition ranges we also offer a selection of meals that meet the British Dietetic Association standards for ‘Energy Dense’ served in a smaller portion size, a great solution for those residents who may have smaller appetite or are at risk of malnourishment.
Furthermore, our extensive ‘free from’ range provides choice for residents who may be living with one or more of the 14 known allergens, putting resident safety, quality and peace of mind at the forefront of every mealtime.
Our good old-fashioned commitment to service
excellence means you can count on us to be there for you, whether it’s answering your questions, choosing the right meals for different dietary requirements, or resolving any concerns promptly and efficiently.
And with no contractual requirements or commitments and free delivery, why not get in touch with us today at www.wffpro.co.uk or scan the QR code below.
Managing allergens in care homes
By Sophia Cornelius ALLERGENS
are extremely prevalent in the UK with an estimated 41 million people, and rising, living with one or more allergy1
Whilst there are many types of allergies, food is one of the most widely recognised with threequarters of care homes reporting that one in four of their residents require allergen-free meals.
It is essential that care homes have a robust allergy management policy in place to ensure the health and safety of residents.
This policy should include procedures for identifying residents with food allergies upon admission, documenting their allergies, and implementing measures to prevent crosscontamination and
accidental exposure.
The food standards agency (FSA) state that a resident’s dietary needs should be documented in their care plan and processes put in place to ensure their needs are communicated to those serving the food.
One way to reduce risk of a resident having an allergic reaction is through comprehensive staff training on food allergies, including how to recognise symptoms of an allergic
reaction, how to read food labels effectively, and how to handle and prepare allergen-free meals safely (avoiding crosscontamination).
Cross-contamination poses significant risk for residents with severe allergies.
Cross-contamination is when a ‘safe food’ has been exposed to an allergen containing food and can occur at any point when food is being handled, including preparation, cooking, storage and serving. Therefore, it can be challenging to avoid, especially if homes are scratch cooking for many residents with varying dietary needs and allergies.
In the recent Nourishing Lives research report conducted by apetito and
Care England, it was found that 40 per cent of homes worry about contamination of food when it comes to preparation and that preparing individual dishes to the highest level of food safety was time-consuming. Using pre-prepared meals can help to mitigate some of these risks for care homes as they will have been produced in a strictly controlled environment, safely packed, and labelled – providing a safe and more convenient option when catering for diverse dietary needs.
Reference
1. About allergy: Allergy UK: National Charity [Internet]. [cited 2024 Apr 19]. Available from: https://www.allergyuk.org/aboutallergy/
n Sophia Cornelius is a development dietitian at Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional.
Our Free From range of meals
OUR Free From range offers meals that are safe for residents that need to avoid one or more of the 14 major allergens without having to compromise on the quality or enjoyment of the meal. From a Free From Sweet & Sour Chicken to a Free From Roast Beef in Gravy, we have got a wide selection to ensure that residents don’t need to miss out on their favourite meals.
All of the meals in this range are free from the following: Soya, Mustard, Gluten, Celery, Sesame, Peanuts, Sulphites, Nuts, Lupin, Fish, Crustacean, Egg, Mollusc, and Milk (and all products produced or derived from milk). The dishes are also made without both onion and garlic.
For added peace of mind, every batch of these meals is tested in our dedicated approved allergen laboratory before being sold, providing assurance that the strict standards required are always achieved.
Sophia Cornelius
Specialist nutrition, made easy
AT Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional, we pride ourselves on enhancing the health and wellbeing of residents and believe everyone should look forward to mealtimes regardless of their dietary need.
That is why we have been honing our world leading specialist nutrition range for more than 10 years and are proud to offer more than 88 meals across three of the IDDSI textures – Level 4, 5 and 6. We’ve spent years understanding the needs
of those living with swallowing difficulties (also known as dysphagia) and our mission from day one has been to create a range of texture modified meals that are not only delicious and safe, but also provide the nutrition required.
The common phrase ‘we eat with our eyes’ is even more important for those living with dysphagia and is why the visual appearance of a modified meal makes a difference. We are committed to not only focusing on the delicious flavour
and variety of our meal offering, but also paying significant attention to how they look, ensuring to bring dignity and enjoyment back to the dining experience. We shape our meals so they resemble ‘traditional’ notions of how food should look and have also launched our latest innovation that replicates the browning effect on the surface of meats and potatoes, giving that “just cooked” look and making the meals even more visually appealing.
Our range of Texture Modified dishes
Created in line with IDDSI guidance
Level 4 Purée – These meals have a smooth texture and do not require any chewing. They are shaped using specialist moulds to resemble the food they represent and hold their shape even after cooking. Our range also includes a selection of Puréed desserts, breakfast options and a trio of tasty toasties to support all day menu planning.
After listening closely to customer feedback and preferences, our range of Purée meals is now better than ever. Improvements to the range include bringing all our Puréed dishes into the smaller ‘Purée Petite’ portion size, that are still packed full of flavour and meet the BDA guidelines for ‘Energy Dense’, as well as introducing more puréed sauces and gravies and an array of new side dishes into the range to elevate the flavours and overall mealtime experience.
Level 5 Minced – Our Level 5 main meals are minced to be tender and moist; the pieces are equal to or less than 4mm width and no more than 15mm in length. In this range, you will find plenty of comforting dishes such as casseroles and stews served with mashed sides.
Level 6 Soft & Bite-sized – Our Level 6 meals are soft and tender, only requiring light chewing. Each element of the dish is cut
into smaller, manageable pieces that are no larger than 15mm and can be easily mashed with a fork.
Mini Meals Extra
These meals are for when residents need more but want less.
Malnutrition is a serious issue that impacts every aspect of a person’s life, including overall sociability and mental wellbeing.
And according to the Malnutrition Task Force, one in 10 older
people are living with or are at risk of malnutrition. Our energy dense range, Mini Meals Extra, packs extra protein and calories into a smaller, more manageable portion, helping to meet the dietary requirements of those in need and working towards combating the effects of malnutrition. All these meals contain at least 500 calories and a minimum of 20g of essential protein to help residents towards their nutritional needs.
Our range of meals
FOR smaller homes with less than 30 beds, Wiltshire Farm Foods
Professional can also provide a more traditional meal offer that your residents can enjoy every day.
We pride ourselves on creating high quality dishes which are conceived by our team of in-house chefs and dietitians, to make sure our meals are not only delicious but right nutritionally for your
residents.
Portions are frozen within one hour of cooking to lock in nutrition and flavour, maintaining the food’s goodness.
From traditional favourites like Cottage Pie, Roast Chicken Breast with Stuffing and Bangers and Mash, through to a selection of tasty Vegetarian or Indian and Chinese style options, we have got you covered.
Our range even provides options for all other meal
occasions to help with your menu planning, with a variety of delicious desserts, savoury snacks and warming soups on offer.
We know that not every appetite is the same, which is why we cater for different portion sizes.
Our Mini Meal range is perfect for those who prefer a smaller portion, whilst those with a larger appetite might prefer to try our Hearty selection. And the preparation
couldn’t be easier.
All our meals can be cooked in the microwave straight from frozen in a matter of minutes, without even the need to pierce the film lid, removing the complexities of managing kitchen teams and ensuring adequate staff cover.
This provides a flexible and hassle-free experience for your teams in the kitchen – saving on time and significantly reducing your labour costs.
How can texture modified diets help tackle malnutrition for those living with dysphagia?
By Sophia Cornelius
ONE OF the common consequences of dysphagia is malnutrition, with 51 per cent of people living with dysphagia being malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.
Providing nutritionally dense, well presented and, of course, tasty texture modified meals is essential for both preventing malnutrition and managing dysphagia.
Here are several ways in which a texture modified diet can help:
Improved safety and comfort
Dysphagia can result from mechanical issues that impair the ability to chew and break down foods in a way that is safe to swallow.
These mechanical issues can stem from various conditions affecting the structures involved in chewing and swallowing.
Texture modification helps address these challenges by altering the consistency of food and making it easier to chew or eliminating the need for chewing altogether.
It also ensures a cohesive bolus is formed, which is easier to control and swallow safely, thereby reducing the risk of choking and aspiration.
Reduced mealtime fatigue
One of the challenges
that contributes to the increased risk of malnutrition is mealtime fatigue.
The physical changes associated with dysphagia can make the act of eating more time consuming and tiring.
Texture modified foods help individuals to conserve energy through being partially of fully broken down, reducing the amount of effort required to chew and overall physical strain required for a safe swallow.
Enhanced nutritional intake
Enhancing safety and comfort while reducing mealtime fatigue will ultimately improve nutritional intake by making the experience less stressful.
Furthermore, meals should be approached similarly to how they were before dysphagia, incorporating variety to prevent boredom, presenting food attractively to stimulate
appetite, and ensuring excellent flavour to promote good intake.
One consideration for individuals with dysphagia is portion size; due to factors like mealtime fatigue, larger portions may no longer be manageable.
Food fortification is essential to counteract the nutritional deficit created by smaller portion sizes as not only does it optimise nutritional intake but can prevent people being over faced by large portions as well as reducing food waste.
Both malnutrition and dysphagia can have severe consequences to an individual’s health and wellbeing through increasing the risk of hospital admissions and reducing their independence, resulting in a poorer quality of life.
Texture modified meals are tailored to meet the specific swallowing capabilities of individuals with dysphagia, enhancing
safety during eating. Additionally, food fortification can be utilised to ensure nutritious meals. However, taste and variety are crucial factors that need to be addressed to ensure optimal nutritional intake and enhance food enjoyment and quality of life.
Recent innovations are giving people with dysphagia access to foods that would previously be considered unsafe, expanding the variety and choice available.
This includes different cuisines and accommodations for a growing number of dietary needs.
At Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional, we understand that food is considered one of life’s greatest joys, and that it is essential that texture modified diets are both safe and enjoyable.
n Sophia Cornelius is a development dietitian at Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional.
Sophia Cornelius
Leading the way
NOT only do we believe in enhancing health and wellbeing through our meals, but we are also dedicated to limiting our environmental impact and prioritising the health of our planet.
Whether that is working closely with trusted suppliers to ensure we
are sourcing sustainably or operating our world leading closed-loop system for ready meal trays to reduce packaging waste, doing business in a sustainable way is at the heart of everything we do.
That’s why we have committed to reaching Net Zero carbon emissions
by 2040. But we didn’t stop there. To keep ourselves accountable and ensure we are taking decarbonisation action now, we’ve also set a series of short-term carbon reduction targets (independently validated and approved by the SBTi).
Our commitment to ethics and sustainability is the reason that we were awarded our fourth Royal Honour; The King’s Awards for Enterprise in Sustainable Development 2024. It was awarded in recognition of our commitment to conducting business that positively impacts the environment, society and economy, and we are one of only 29 businesses recognised for their work in this space.
By partnering with Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional, you’re not only getting access to high-quality meals, award-winning specialist diets and local service, but you’ll also be receiving an automatic five per cent discount on our Wiltshire Farm Foods retail prices on every order.
If you want to hear how Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional can help you make a real difference to the nutrition, health and wellbeing of those in your care and all with fantastic value for your business, get in touch with the team on:
Website: wffpro.co.uk
Phone: 01225 308829
Email: info@wffpro.co.uk
