A Study on Menu Management and Cooking Equipment Utilization at School Foodservices in the Chonbuk Area of Korea

전북 지역 학교 급식소의 메뉴 관리 및 대량 조리기기의 활용도 연구

This study examined the menu management and utilization of cooking equipment at school foodservice operations in the Chonbuk area. Self-administered questionnaires were collected from a total of 193 school dietitians. Statistical data analysis was completed using the SPSS v. 11.5 program. The results are summarized as follows. Among the 193 schools, 58.5% were elementary schools and 41.5% were middle and high schools. Approximately 97% of the schools prepared meals in the conventional manner. Among the school, 68.4% had a menu cycle of 1${\sim}$2 weeks. The frequency of using convenience foods was significantly different between the elementary schools and middle and high schools(p<0.001). Approximately 45% of the dietitians responded that the most important details for menu planning were menu variety and consumer preference. However, 66.8% of the dietitians responded that a key problem for menu planning was limited and worn-out kitchen equipment. Although the cost of purchasing cooking equipment is high, most dietitians responded they have high needs for equipment in order to meet of the quantity demands of food production. In terms of utilized cooking equipment, most schools had mixers, vegetable cutters, choppers, dish washers, etc. Yet the amenities most often lacking were meat slicers, composting machines, ovens, and griddles. In utilizing the cooking equipment, there was no significant difference between the dietitians in the elementary(3.67) schools and those in the middle and high school foodservice systems(3.70); however, the utilization level was poor. Therefore, governmental regulatory agencies should review and finance support for purchasing cooking equipment. Finally, purchasing analysis was conducted regarding the dietitians' opinions on menu recipes and useful equipment.