This blog post examines from various perspectives how school meal service is an important service that goes beyond simply providing meals to promote health and well-being.
Consider your daily diet. Most people, especially students, likely rely on meals provided by a meal service for at least one meal. A meal service refers to the organized act of providing meals within organizations such as schools, hospitals, industrial facilities, social welfare institutions, and the military, as part of supplementary services to achieve their primary objectives, or meals provided as part of services supporting this purpose. Simply put, school meals are a service provided so students can focus on their studies, while hospital meals are food provided to aid patients’ recovery. The development of school meals in Korea was spurred by the rise of working moms as industrialization progressed. As fewer homemakers prepared packed lunches at home, organizations began providing meals as part of their services, leading to the growth of school meals. So, let’s examine the system behind the convenient meal services we use.
The most important consideration in meal services is their significance and role. Meal services aim to promote the nutrition and health of the public. This goal is particularly crucial in school meals. During childhood and adolescence, when physical development occurs rapidly, poor eating habits can be detrimental to health. Therefore, meal services play a vital role in forming and correcting proper eating habits. Furthermore, school meals enable efficient and economical use of resources. Fundamentally, bulk purchasing of ingredients makes school meals more efficient and economical than preparing food at the household level. Finally, school meals contribute to social welfare by being provided in facilities such as childcare centers and senior welfare centers. They fulfill the nutritional needs of those unable to prepare meals independently while also serving to draw them out of isolated spaces into social settings.
So, let’s take a closer look at the types and systems of meal services we actually use. The types of meal service management are broadly divided into in-house operation and outsourcing. In-house operation means the meal service facility is a subordinate system of the parent organization it belongs to, with all aspects—facilities, location, personnel management, etc.—following the parent organization’s regulations and procedures. Conversely, contracted management involves outsourcing some or all of the cafeteria’s operational and management tasks to a specialized catering company. For example, at Seoul National University, LG Awhome manages the dormitory cafeteria, while Samsung Everland handles the 220 Cafeteria. The advantages of direct management include fostering a sense of belonging and prioritizing quality maintenance over profit maximization. However, it has the disadvantages of lacking flexibility due to being under the control of the parent organization and incurring high operating costs. Conversely, specific organizations choose outsourced catering due to insufficient funds for facility renovation costs or a lack of catering management expertise within the parent organization. Outsourced catering offers the advantages of reducing catering costs and expenses, improving outdated facilities and equipment, and enabling more systematic implementation of employee education and training programs. However, the biggest problem with outsourced catering is the dual command structure. In direct management catering, the catering manager is typically a nutritionist. But in outsourced catering, the nutritionist is an employee of the outsourcing company. Therefore, if a conflict arises between the parent organization and the outsourcing company, the manager can face a dilemma.
We have now examined the operational types of food service. Finally, let’s look at how food production, distribution, and service are provided by system. Food service systems are broadly divided into four types. The first is the traditional food service system, where food production, distribution, and service all occur consecutively in the same location. This is the form we generally recognize and is primarily used in small-scale food service. The second is the central supply system. This model groups several geographically adjacent cafeterias under a central kitchen. Food is mass-produced there, portioned individually, and transported to nearby satellite kitchens for distribution and serving. Think of it like a franchise model. However, in meal service, the separation of cooking and serving in time and space can lead to hygiene issues. Furthermore, if there are disruptions in supply, there is a risk of failing to provide meals to the group, so this system is not frequently used. The third is the cooked-and-stored meal system, where food is prepared in advance, stored, and then reheated just before serving. Its defining feature is the temporal separation between food production and consumption. Primary methods include cook-chill, cook-freeze, and sous-vide. Finally, there is the assembly-style food service system. This involves bulk purchasing processed and convenience foods requiring minimal pre-processing, minimizing actual cooking. It only requires functions for storage, assembly, heating, and serving. In-flight meals are a prime example of simultaneously using both the cook-chill and assembly-style food service systems.
We have briefly reviewed these concepts to enhance overall understanding of food service. Food service management is a discipline that integrates knowledge of food nutrition and business administration. It combines the goal of food nutrition—promoting human health and improving quality of life—with the goal of business administration—effectively achieving corporate objectives. Thus, food service management must ultimately aim to support the achievement of organizational goals by enhancing human health. Occasionally, companies view cafeterias merely as a means to make a profit. This undermines the fundamental purpose and significance of cafeteria services. While generating a certain profit margin is unavoidable to cover high rent or labor costs, the essence of cafeteria services must be preserved as a long-term welfare investment.
