Unit:1 BULK FOOD

PRODUCTION

Food production & patisserie-III

Instructor Ashish Raut
Liberty college

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Contents….
1.1 Overview of catering & bulk catering
1.2 Meaning of bulk food production
1.3 Objective of bulk food production
1.4 Feature of bulk food production
1.5 Equipment required for volume production
1.6 Holding system
1.6.1 Holding problems & solutions
1.7 Invalid cooking

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1.1 Overview of catering & bulk catering
Those establishments, which serve food & beverage to their
customer, are referred as catering establishments.
Catering is derived from the word cater which means to serve.
The main aim of any catering organization is to attract different
sections of the public to use its facilities.
Classification is important in relation to the process of menu planning.
Mainly two types of catering establishments.
- Primary catering( Commercial catering
- Secondary catering ( Welfare catering)

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 Conti… Overview of Catering & bulk catering

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 Conti… Overview of catering & bulk catering

Those establishments, which produce & Production & service is

serve food & beverage service in volume done either on the premise
or mass or quantity is known as bulk or off the premises.
catering.
E.g. airline catering, cruise
Bulk catering is not limited in star hotel’s
catering, banquet halls,
banquet there are others sectors universities/ college/
institutional catering, industrial catering &
catering, , factories
transport catering etc.
catering, hospital catering,
Bulk catering required detail planning in club, off the premises
compare to ala carte outlets. catering etc
Process approach used.
Strict hygiene & sanitation is required.
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 1.2 Meaning of bulk food production 04/09/2025

Bulk foods are those food items that offered in large quantities. It is also known as volume
cooking, mass cooking & quantity cooking.
Cooking food for more than 100pax is regarded as bulk food cooking. This also regarded as
quantity food production. Or,
• Any food prepared for a number of more then 25can be termed as bulk or mass or
volume food production.
Even though the method of cooking & the selection ingredients remain the same in bulk
cooking what differs is the approach ( such cooking can be done with in premise, off the
premise, beside that prepared in one location & served in other).
Volume cooking involves much detailed planning & organizing as compared to a a la cate
cooking & it also requires a lot of care during the preparation of food. ( spoil of dish = loss of
lots of money, time, effort & reputation).
In bulk cooking, time & modern equipment play the most crucial role where, food are
stored, preparation, cooking, batching, storing etc.( e.g. during preparation kneading 50 kg
dough manually may affect the product quality/contaminated)
Conti… Meaning of bulk food production
Foods are prepared not individually but for a group where food often prepare
cyclic menu/ table d hote menu & food cooked in advance.
Bulk kitchen is separate kitchen with sufficient equipment utensils tools with
required staffs for the production of bulk foods or quantity foods.
This food production system is followed by secondary catering
establishment( institutional, industrial & transport catering), ODC catering etc..
While planning the bulk food the following are areas should be analyzed: capital
resource, physical resources & human resources planning.
Generally, foods cooked can be tested by three ways:
• Best color
• Best texture
• Best taste

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1.3 Objective / feature of bulk food production

• Cooking foods in a large quantity.

• Prepared foods in advance.
• Prepare foods for a group of a people.
• Often prepares cyclic menu.
• To feed a group of people at a time.
• To produce suitable quality food/ quality control.
• To minimize time (food preparation), cost (food, labor, fuel etc.)/
operating cost of catering.
• Convenient & affordable.
• To maintain consistency in food characteristics.
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1.4 Equipment required for volume/ bulk production

The type of equipment used in volume production would really depend on the type of
establishment from which it is required.
Each types of operation has its own needs hence there are different types of equipment.
Broadly equipment can classified in to capital & operating equipment.
However we can also categories these equipment into the following types for better
understanding.
i.) Preparation equipment ( All the equipment used for preparation & mise en place,
including small & big equipment such as knives, chopping boards, mixing bowls etc.
ii) Holding/ storing equipment ( All types equipment that would be required to
hold the food before or after cooking such as refrigerator, blast chiller or, freezer,
gastronorm trays or container, soup kettle, bain marie, retarder proofer etc.
iii) Cooking equipment( Fixed or movable equipment required to cook food. Such
as gas range, different types of ovens,
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 1.4.1 TYPICAL Equipment required for volume/ bulk production

i) Bart pan/ braising pan/ tilting pan

- It is widely used in bulk cooking for
preparing gravies, stew, braised etc.
- Available in the different types the small
table top hold 60ltr & the lager sizes could
be of 1000ltr.
ii) Steam jacket kettle/ steam kettle/
soup kettle
- Operated with the help of steam, table top
model can hold 45ltr to 1500ltr.
- This kittle is mostly used for preparing
soup & stock ( boiling & stewing)

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 conti…TYPICAL Equipment required for
volume production
iii) Gas burner/ cooking stove/
cooking range
- Various kind of range are used =
according to types of operation .
??????????????
- Low height & high pressure
burner are suitable for preparing
bulk food production system.
- Available in the different form
such single burner/ stove,
double burner, 4 burners etc.

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 conti…TYPICAL Equipment required for volume production

iv) Walk in freeze / cold storage room/ walk

in freezer
- Walk in inside,
- Most commercial walk-in cold rooms operate at
an average temperature between 0°c and 5°c.
- Beside that walking freezer is controlled
between -18*c to -40*c.
v) Conventional oven( combi oven)
- Cook in circulation of hot air, models are also
available with roll in trolley.
- Most popular oven both mode i. e.
conventional & conduction
-it is used for cooking & reheating etc.
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conti…TYPICAL Equipment required for volume production

vi) Rotator oven Baking Batch

oven/
- It is used for baking purpose.
- it is also known as batch oven as big
batches of products are baked in
- Products are placed in gastro norm trays
then placed in trolley & baked.
viii) Deep fat fry
-it is safer in bulk cooking, available in small
table top models large hold 30ltr oil.
-it is suitable to maintained 165*c to 195* c
temperature.
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 cont.…TYPICAL Equipment required for volume production

ix) Citrus juicer

-Automatic juicers are helpful when
processing citrus fruits.
x) Vegetable washer
-Heavy duty vegetable washer are a
standard in most bulk cooking
operation.
-it help in washing, sanitizing, drying
vegetable longer shelf life.
- It is better to installed in the
receiving areas

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conti…TYPICAL Equipment required for volume production

xi) Potato peeler & onion

peeler
- Potato & onion are widely used
ingredients in cooking.
- Usage of such machine help to
reduce the operating cost as well
as saves manual labor & provides
efficiency & consistency.
- Potato peeler rubs the potatoes
against a coarse inner lining of its
cylinder.

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 conti.…TYPICAL Equipment required for volume production

xii) Pulverizer
-Mostly used in Indian bulk cooking used
for grinding wet pastes such as blanched
vegetable, nuts etc.
-Obtained proper consistency/ puree
from pulverizer.
xii) Dough sheeter
-it used in bakery kitchen.
- It help to roll out the dough for making bread.
- Size determined by operation types.
- Speed control is designed either in hand or
leg.

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cont.…TYPICAL Equipment required for volume production

xiii) Blast chiller & freezer

- Blast chiller & freezer are two of
the most important equipment
used in bulk cooking.
- This equipment mostly used by
airline & cruise lines catering.
- The main purpose of blast chiller &
freezer is to cool down the food
below the danger zone.
- The hot food can be chilled or
frozen in less than 2 hours by
maintain food safety & hygiene.
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 conti.…TYPICAL Equipment required for volume production

xiv) Stick blender / blixer

- It is helpful in blending large amounts
of sauces/ gravies or soups.
- This blender can be placed directly in
to the container & blended to a
required consistency.
xv) Dough mixture
- Available in different size used for
kneading, creaming & whisking or
whipping the bakery food
commodities.
- Three attachment such as dough
hook, balloon whisk, flat paddle etc.
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conti.…TYPICAL Equipment required for volume production

xvi) Salamander
- Mostly used for reheating purpose.
- It has a heating element on the top
surface & food is keep under it.
xvii) Retarder proofer/ prover
- Used in bakery operations involving
yeast leavened products.
- A retarder-proofer is a cabinet with a
controlled and adjustable temperature
and relative humidity.
- Some proofer is used for holding the
food proof product.
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1.5 Bulk food production system
The catering should Planned, forecasting & applied better input (M3
i.e. money, manpower, materials) processing & output mechanism during
the production system.
Process approach production system applied by bulk catering.
Mainly, Bulk catering applied centralized food production system.
There are 4 types of production system applied by bulk catering.
• Unit Preparing fresh cooked food/ conventional food production system.
• Cook chill food production system
• Cook freezer food production system
• Sous vide (vacuum cooking) food production system

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 Conti…
1.5.1 Cook chill Food production system
Cook chill & cook freeze are a specialized food production & distribution system that
allows food caterers to take advantage of the longer shelf life of processed food.
chilled food is regeneration in finishing kitchen/ regeneration kitchen.
The main advantage of cook freeze smoothly work in minimum staffs and consistency
or quality production by maintain high standard hygiene and sanitations.
Food cooked in advance in different form & quickly chilled to 3*c ( either blast chilling,
traditionally immersing in a tank of water where cold air circulated around in food).
Bulk food preparation catering followed this system.( hospitals, schools, banqueting
and conference catering )
Food is stored in container, then chilled, storing & reheating/ regeneration. ( special
care, recommended degree temperature to prevent under/ over cooking).
Hygiene & sanitation is most important during whole process cooking, chilling,
transporting , regeneration.
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 Conit… Suitable foods for cook chill process
- Almost most of the foods can be cook chilled but,
catering need to be followed correct methods:
v) Dessert ( all types of sweets
i.) Meat/ poultry/game ( it should be
chill well, for hot separate
cooked, it is not possible to serve under
topping)
cook meat)
ii) Fish ( all precooked fish are suitable for
cook)
iii) Egg dishes ( omelets and scrambled egg
common in airlines)
iv.) soups and sauces ( most of chilled
successfully but, high fat and egg based
soups may coagulated during regeneration)
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 Conti…
Cook chill process
Dry
store
Porti
Cold oning
Preparation
store /
/ cooking
pack Blast
Vegeta aging chill
ble er Chill
store store
Disp
atch
ing Regen
eration

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 Conti…
1.5. 2 Cook freeze food production system
Cook freeze is a production similar to cook chill using blast freezers rather than
blast chiller.
Cooked, portioned, packaged, blast freezer/ frozen quickly -5*c in less than
90min/ 1.5 hr. finally deep freeze in -18*c to – 20*c, dispatching, reheating/
regeneration.
 The main difference between cook freeze & cook chill is the degree of
refrigeration & length of storage life of food.
Regeneration may be done from frozen state or allowed to thaw.
Most food can be stored 2 to 6 months.

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 Conti…
Cook freeze process

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 Conti..
1.5.3 Sous vide food production system ( vacuum
cooking)
French term, meaning under vacuum
In the mid–1970s, French Chef Georges Pralus, introduced
sous vide cooking to the world.
Food is placed in a plastic pouch or a glass jar and then
placed in a water bath or steam environment for longer than
normal cooking times.
Civilized method without losing any quality of meals.
( suitable for fruits and green vegetables no oxidation or
discolored e.g. pear in red wine, syrup etc.)
Vacuum packed food is partially or fully cooked, shelf life, up
to 21 days
refrigerated.
If partially cooked food is heated in steamer or bain- marie.
Finish by searing, grilling, broiling the food to add a crispy,
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golden exterior layer. 26
 Conit…Process of sous vide
i) Raw food commodities/ Raw materials

ii) Individual portion ( Under vacuum )

iii) Cooking (Cooked in sous vide cooker or
stem or temperature controlled water)
iv) Rapid chilling ( ice water bath or chiller)
v) Labelled and storing in refrigerator or
chiller storage.
vi) Dispatching
vii) Regeneration or reheating
viii) Serving
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 Conti…
Advantage and disadvantage of sous
vide / vacuum cooking
 The food does not loos its natural juices hence retaining the natural flavors and
nutrients.
 Healthy due to use of less fat, spices.
 Vegetables those are soft but not discolored and disintegrated.
 Lack of shrinkage of food commodities.
 Simple use and uniform and consistent results.
 Maximizes advance preparation and facilitates work at peak times.
 Low power consumption compared to ovens.
 Different dishes can be regenerated simultaneously without mixing flavors.

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1.5.4 Conventional food production system
The conventional food service system is the type most establishments have
traditionally used in the parties system.( Use fresh food commodities and traditional
cooking methods)
Foods are purchased for an individual operation in various stages of preparation, but all
production is completed and foods are served on the same premises.
In Conventional production, foods are hold hot or chilled, as appropriate for the menu
item, and served as soon as possible.
Foods with varying degrees of processing are brought into the system and prepared for
service in the food production sub-system.
Hot-holding conditions is affected by temperature, humidity and length of holding
time, all of which can adversely affect its nutritional and sensory quality and must be
considered when scheduling food production.
Some food are merely purchased and held chilled before service, such as milk or butter
patties, whereas other menu items are produced in the system from raw foods and
held either heated or chilled until time of service.
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1.7.2 Advantage and disadvantage of Conventional food
production system

Advantages Disadvantages
• Flexibility in menu items • Higher food costs
• Food is served soon after • Less Food safety
preparation • Problem in consistency
• Less cost in modern technologies. • More labor need
• Traditional standardized recipes
can be used

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 1.6 Holding food
 it is the process of keeping finished or cooked food items by maintaining
right temperature, texture & consistency before to serve.
All hot food will be held hot (above 57º Celsius) and cold food will be held cold
(below 5º Celsius).
 Temperatures of food will be taken routinely to ensure that proper temperatures
are maintained through holding to ensure the safety of the food served to
customers.
Any conflict between food quality and food safety must always be decided in favor
of food safety. When in doubt about the safety of food, throw it out.
There are many equipment used for holding foods such as holding cabinet &
transport, counter top hot food holding, warmer, counter top buffet warmer,
Holding system can be classified in two section:
I.) Holding Hot Food
II.) holding cold Food
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 Holding food items

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 Conti ….i.) Holding hot food
 Holding Hot Food: Prepare and cook only as much food as is needed. Batch cooking is
ideal for maintaining food temperature and quality.
 Use hot-holding equipment that can keep hot food at 57º Celsius or higher.
 Follow manufacturer’s instructions in using hot-holding equipment. [NOTE: Customize
your SOP by including instructions. For example, you may need to indicate that the
steam table wells need to be filled with hot water and at what level.]
 Keep foods covered to retain heat and to keep contaminants from falling into food.
 It is better to measure internal food temperatures once an hour using a calibrated
thermometer. Record temperatures in the Holding temperature Log. If temperatures are
below 57º Celsius, then reheat to 74º Celsius.
 Discard hot potentially hazardous food after four hours if they have not been properly
held at or above 57º Celsius.
 Do not mix freshly prepared food with food being held for service.
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 Stir held food regularly to help distribute the heat evenly.
33
Conti …II.) Holding cold food
 Use cold-holding equipment ( that can keep cold foods below 5º Celsius.
 It is to measure internal food temperatures once an hour using a calibrated
thermometer. Record temperatures in the Holding temperature Log. If
temperatures are above 5º Celsius, then refrigerate.
 Protect cold food from contaminants with covers or food shields.
 Discard cold potentially hazardous foods after four hours if they have not
been properly held below 5º Celsius. Although cold food held for longer
then six hours must be discarded.
 Place cold food in pans or on plates first, never directly on ice. The only
exceptions are whole fruits and vegetables that will be washed after
holding.
 Ice used on a display should be self-draining. Wash and sanitize drip pans
after each use.
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 1.6.1 Holding problems & solutions
Holding Problems Holding Solutions
- Not designing storage room properly for Designing storage appropriately.
different storage system Sufficient storages facilities.
-Insufficient storage facilities. Well equipped and ventilated store.
-Lack of storage or holding tools & Storage/ hold area have kept clean &
equipments. tidy. (hygiene should maintained)
-Ventilation and lightening. Temperature ( storage as well) of hot
-Order more quantity of products at time. and cold holding food should maintain.
-If you prepare more food at a time. Food must be covered. (out of danger
zone)
-Pest and rodent problems in storage facilities.
Frequently monitoring during holding
-Not applying the strong control system in period of food.
place.
Use FIFIO & LIFO system of Hot & cold
-Frequently monitoring required. food.
-May effect on food characteristics / long 04/09/2025
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 1.6.2 Holding equipment…
i) Holding Cabinets & Transports
• Holding Cabinets ii) Warming Equipment
• Holding/ Proofing Cabinets • Warming Cabinets
• Heated Banquet Cabinets • Buffet Warmers
• Heated Display & Deli Cases( keep hot food) • Commercial Soup Warmers
• Correctional Holding Cabinets • Rice Warmers
• Pizza Holding Cabinets • Chip Warmers
• Refrigerated Holding Cabinets • Bun & Roll Warmers
• Cook & Hold Ovens with Cabinets • Syrup Warmer Dispensers
• Fried Food Holding Stations
• Commercial Food Warmers
• Dough Proofing Cabinets
• Bain marie
• Holding & Proofing Cabinets
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1.7 Invalid cooking
?????????????????????????

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Cont… Invalid cooking
Invalid cooking means to prepare food for an invalid sick or weak person.
One who is chronically ill, and admitted in hospital and they have certain
kind of illness or disease.
The food cooked for them should be cooked in such way that does not
losses its nutrients value & it should be eye appealing for them.
The person who cook the food for the sick persons are called as diet chef.
While you are cooking for the sick, you should be keeping this in mind that
it should be easily digestible & more over it should be cooked in clean &
hygiene condition.
Mostly this cooking system is followed by hospital catering establishment
for patients although it also serve to employee as well.
In the big hospitals, qualified dieticians are appointed to determine the
nutritional requirements of patients. 04/09/2025 38
 Conti…Invalid cooking
Traditionally dietician task was monotones & difficulties although
nowadays computer software make the job easy.
A effective coordination required between dietician & catering manager.
This is not a special method of cookery but, we have to use our
knowledge of baking, boiling, steaming, etc., and in addition follow some
rule which apply especially to food prepared for the sick.
Wrong food may kill a patient, while badly prepared food retard recovery.
Good food, well cooked and served will do much towards saving the
patient’s life.
whether they have goods appetite or not, their food should be easily
digestible as they cannot take an exercise as a normal person.

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1.7.1 Types of diets
• Regular diets( this diets should provides
appx 1800 kilocalories with daily basis with • Special diets ( gluten
no more 80gm proteins & 4gm sodium free, sugar free, saturated
fatty acid free food
• High fiber diets ( 1800 kilocalories on
daily basis with no more 80gm protein, • bland diets( avoiding
4gm sodium & 25 gm fibers. spicy, salty, oily food)
• Soft diet ( 1800 kilocalories similar to
regular diets but soft or easy to chew
• Fiber restricted diet ( usually suitable
for diarrhea patients
• Low cholesterol diets ( diets excluding
animal protein & sodium diets doesn’t
exceed 50gm fat
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1.7.2 Points to be considered for the invalid cooking

A)Consult with doctor – it is very necessary to consult with the doctor as because
they know the best way in what they can none & is what way.
B) Should be nutritive – the food for the seek should be nourishing to them &
therefore they should be cooked in such way that the loss is minimum.
C) A balance diet – the food served to them should be well balanced i.e. it should
have protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals in correct quantity that should
be given to them.
D) Mode of serving – the food can be served in such a way that they can easily
have it, without any problem & should be of his choice if possible.
E) Light & small quantity – the food served to them should be light of preferably
in small quantity so they can easily have it. Fresh – the raw ingredients used to cook
the food for them should be fresh as because at that present of time it have high
nutritive value.
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 Invalid cooking
Conti… 04/09/2025

1.7.3 Important Points in Catering for Invalids

i.) Consult the doctor about the patient’s diet and obey his instruction.
ii.) Choose food that will supply necessary nourishment and be suitable to the
illness.
iii.) Serve food which can be easily digested because in the sickness the digestive
system is often impaired.
iv) In a serious illness, food is given in liquid form and should be as varies as
possible.
v) Serve the best quality possible food should be absolutely fresh.
vi) Vary the food and the method of cooking as possible. This stimulates appetite.
vii.) In convalescence( healing after illness) see that the solid food is light, easily
digestible and served in small quantities.
viii.) As convalescence proceeds, increase the food in amount and variety. 42
Examples menu

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Assignment: Research different bulk food production
catering establishment surrounding in yours areas &
enlist that particular bulk food catering
establishment’s dishes finally, identify their storage
problem & solution.

Thank you!!!

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