In the autumn of 2012, "condense multiple kitchens into one" was the challenge that the managers at the Dortmund/Westphalia hospital network found themselves facing. They were determined to find a way to centralise their canteen and catering operations to avoid having to prepare freshly made meals in three different buildings. The option they chose was a sous-vide cooking system set up for the hospital network by the catering company Procuratio (the Association for Social Services/Erkrath). Each mealtime (in the mornings, at lunchtime and in the evenings), some 1,100 meals are delivered to the hospital wards in the vicinity.
What comes back is the dirty dishware plus all the food waste, which the Dortmund hospital collects properly using the WasteStar food waste disposal system made by the Offenburg, Germany-based company MEIKO. Approximately five cubic litres of food waste are collected each month. Before the dirty dishware, cutlery and trays are hygienically and safely cleaned in two M-iQ dishwashing machines, the staff remove any waste food from the plates by tipping it into specially designed chutes situated in front of the machines.
The MEIKO warewashing technology is connected with the WasteStar food waste disposal system, so that both the washing and the collection of the food waste take place efficiently, safely and hygienically.
"I had no idea that the technology could be made to work in such perfect harmony," highlights Philipp Fornefeld (head of project management at the Klinikum Westfalen GmbH), who considers the MEIKO machine duo to be the optimum solution. The organic waste is collected in the food waste disposal system and then automatically ground up into a homogenous biomass. Grease and fat from the grease trap is added to this valuable substrate before it is stored in an underground tank before eventually being sent for recycling.
At the same time, the two M-iQ washing machines are programmed to conserve resources. Each day, up to 40,000 pieces of dishware and cutlery hygienically and safely cleaned. "We were determined to keep the water and energy consumption and maintenance costs as low as possible when it came to choosing a dishwashing system," says Philipp Fornefeld, emphasising just how little servicing and maintenance the machines require. "When we calculated the payback period and looked at the competing offers, it was clear that MEIKO was the best choice, especially in combination with the new wet waste disposal system. It's great to have such a neat all-round package from a single source!"
