Meat and milk for hospitals criticised
Meat and milk are expensive items on any shopping list, but for hospitals, the sheer volume required means the cost can be in the millions.
The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) spends about $1.3 million a year on meat and uses nearly 128 tonnes of beef, lamb, pork and chicken – the majority of which (104 tonnes) is red meat.
It also buys about 460,000 litres of milk each year, costing about $588,000. The CDHB, which has its own in-house catering service, provides about 1,095,000 patient meals a year – three per day per patient. It also provides 750,000 Meals on Wheels, operates eight cafes for staff, patients and visitors, and sells prepared products to other health providers.
The total spend on patient meals for 2018-19 was $2.5m, figures released under the Official Information Act show.
And while it does provide vegetarian and vegan meal options, the CDHB has no specific plans to reduce meat and milk for patient meals.
Advice in recent sustainability guidelines for the health system recommended cutting back on both, and encouraging plant-based diets as part of wider action to slash emissions.
The guidelines, released in July by Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter, prompted heated debate on the use of meat and dairy in hospitals.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Health guidelines recommend limiting red meat (beef and lamb) to less than 500 grams (cooked) a week, or 71g a day. A report published in The Lancet in January said a maximum of 14g of red meat a day, or about one hamburger patty a week, was best for health and the environment.
The CDHB was unable to provide an average for the amount of meat patients might be provided over a week. However, as an example, a CDHB spokeswoman said a dinner serving of a meat-based meal such as a roast would be about 100g, while Spanish Rice, which includes bacon, would be about 10-15g.
Dietitians NZ, a professional body, said in response to the sustainability guidelines that while promoting plant-based foods was right in general, it was not appropriate for those unwell in hospital.
‘‘Malnutrition is common in patients, and often meat and dairy in meals is one of the best ways of ensuring nutrition requirements are met,’’ Dietitians NZ chief executive Kath Fouhy said at the time.
Professor John Potter, of the Centre for Public Health Research at Massey University, Wellington, said that hospitals should remove all processed meats from menus, and initiate meat-free Mondays.
He said red and processed meats were established risk factors for bowel cancer. Many patients were overweight and did not need energydense foods such as meat and dairy, Potter said.
Food production is inextricably linked to climate change. In New Zealand, agriculture makes up 49 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.
CDHB acting chief executive Mary Gordon said a vegetarian choice was always offered and vegan options were available. Hospital dietitians designed recipes to provide the best possible nutritional outcomes. ‘‘Milk and dairy products play a large part in the menu as they are high protein ingredients which aid recovery and for many patients, especially the elderly, dairy-based dishes are easy to eat and digest.’’
She said the CDHB was committed to sustainability.