Food to Go business Adelie Foods helps hospital caterers understand how to comply with CQUIN targets and offer pre-packaged sandwiches from their leading brand.
URBAN eat, the UK’s favourite sandwich brand, has produced a comprehensive guide to help hospital caterers comply with NHS England’s CQUIN (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) targets.
The CQUIN goals are a set of targets effecting every food and drink outlet on NHS premises, with the aim of providing healthier food choices for NHS staff, visitors and patients.
A new set of compliance targets will come into effect from 31 March 2018, meaning that 60% of pre-packed sandwiches and other savoury pre-packed meals (wraps, salads, pasta salads) available have to contain 400 Kcal or less per serving, and do not exceed 5g saturated fat per 100g. By March 2019, this figure will increase to 75%.
Within URBAN eat’s guide, caterers stocking the range are given tips and planograms to help them comply with the guidelines, whilst still providing a breadth of options to customers and ensuring there are no missed sales. Non-compliant products can still be offered as a balance to the compliant range (up to 40% non-compliant products in 2018/19) and up to 25% in 2018/19.
Isla Owen, Senior Marketing Manager at Adelie Foods, said: “The CQUIN requirements can be daunting to caterers, which is why URBAN eat has stepped up to help educate them on the best way to implement the changes within their shelves – which is vital to ensure there are no missed sales. The requirements for pre-packed sandwiches and other savoury meals are based on the percentage of facings – the number of identical products or SKUs facing out towards a customer. This means caterers can still include a full range including best sellers, but will have to have less customer-facing stock of non-compliant options.
“We are constantly investing to improve and evolve our offering, and our goal is to reduce fat and calorie content across the whole range before September. Whilst doing so it is important that we maintain the quality and flavour that our customers know and love. I’d urge caterers to get in touch if they’d like more detail on URBAN eat and CQUIN guidelines.”