Kosher and Halal Food Laws - Essay Example

Food Laws Food laws are strict rules that dictate the diet composition of specific people who subscribe to a certain belief. These laws provide a list of acceptable and unacceptable foods that such members should watch during their meals or during specific holidays. At times, these laws become a big challenge especially when dealing with large of group of people who subscribe to different food laws. The Kosher and Halal food laws that the Jews and Muslims respectively observe are examples of food laws that influence the diets of the public. In the health environment, it is a big challenge to respect these laws as this is process that may end up being costly and at times appear discriminative. However, hospitals being businesses just like others, it is crucial that the food director satisfies these dietary laws rather than compel patients to take food that their laws prohibit. Therefore, the food directors need to understand these laws to be able to prepare special menu when the need arises to ensure that all their clients are satisfied by the diets provided by the hospital. While preparing the food menus, the food director in the hospital should focus on the economic implications of the menu to ensure that the diet extension remains cost efficient. The Muslim people observe the Halal and Haram food laws that state what a loyal Muslim should and should not eat. In general, the Muslims regard all foods acceptable apart from those that the law prohibits. The halal foods refer to those foods that are religiously accepted by the Muslims. The haram is the opposite of the halal and refers to the foods that a Muslim should not eat. The law provides the list of foods that a Muslim food should not eat. The haram laws forbid the Muslims from eating pork, animals slaughtered without the name of ‘Allah’, carrions, blood and intoxicants (Curtis, 2013). Understanding these laws is crucial for a food director who intends to satisfy the beliefs of his clients. Another set of laws that regulates the eating patterns of the people is the kosher laws which the Jews adopt. Kosher foods are those foods that conform to the Jewish dietary law that requires Jews to eat only specific types of foods during specific times of their religious calendar. Some of the foods prohibited by the kosher laws include a combination of meat and milk, forelegs, cheeks, maw, blood, eggs and cheese(Curtis, 2013). These laws are extremely important to the Jews and anyone who eats unritual food is considered a religion outcast. On this note, it is clear that these laws are important factors that every food director in a hospital should consider while designing menus for their clients. Being a worker in the food service department I have the obligation to ensure that the menus prepared suit the needs of the patients. This is because it would be an offence for the hospital to compel the patients to eat foods that are not in line with their dietary laws. In the contemporary society, the aspect of diversity management is of great significance within the health sector. Diversity management seeks to satisfy the needs of different people irrespective of their differences. It requires that all citizens be treated with respect despite their differences in terms of religion, colour, race, beliefs or even physical abilities. Since our hospital pay attention diversity management strategies, it is crucial to consider the diet preferences of our clients(Curtis, 2013). Secondly, since a hospital is a business just like any other, satisfying the customers is matter of priority. Customers prefer to acquire services from businesses that satisfy their needs efficiently. On this note, it is crucial for our organization to design menus that satisfy the needs of the people to ensure that the Kosher and Halal laws are respected especially during relevant holidays. Satisfying the needs of these laws is a complex process due to the great variation of the diet requirements. The food director is also concerned with the economic aspect of satisfying the needs of the patients. Often, it is possible that introducing new meals other than the regular meals will add cost to the meals. Therefore, in designing special menus for the Kosher and Halal members, it is crucial to ensure that the special menus have very little deviations from the regular menus and that they provide the same level of service (Europarådet, 2002). No matter the challenges that come along this issue, my position is that the rights of these minorities be respected by the hospital to ensure that the hospital is sustainable in both the short and long term. From the menus provided below, it is clear that it is possible to satisfy the Kosher and Halal laws without necessarily increasing the cost of service provision or even providing unequal services to the patients (McVety, Ware, & Ware, 2009). The kosher menu differs from the regular menu in the least way possible. The preparation will involve replacing the meals prohibited by the kosher laws with alternative foods. For instance, Cheese is replaced by blue band, since the two serve the same purpose. Also, the pork stew is replaced with beef stew to ensure that the services are equal and satisfying. The costs involved in the implementation of the special menus are minimal. Providing satisfying services will help the hospital to win loyalty from its diverse customers, which is crucial for its survival in the competitive health sector. Sample Menus Regular Menu Time Food Break Fast 1 eggs, 2 OZ biscuits, 4 slice Bread, Cheese, 1 cup milk, sausage. Lunch 0.5 cup rice, mashed potatoes, Spinach, Broccoli, Beef stew, Dinner Fresh strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, Wheat bread, Pork Stew, A cup of milk Kosher Menu Time Food Break Fast 1 cup of milk, 2 OZ biscuits, 4 slice Bread, Blueband, 1 cup milk Lunch 0.5 cup rice, mashed potatoes, Spinach, Broccoli, Beef stew, Dinner Fresh strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, Wheat bread, Chicken stew, A cup of milk References Curtis, P. A. (2013). Guide to US food laws and regulations.Hoboken, N.J. : John Wiley & Sons Inc. Europarådet. (2002). Food and nutritional care in hospitals: How to prevent undernutrition: Report and recommendations of the Committee of Experts on Nutrition, Food Safety and Consumer Protection : health protection of the consumer. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing. McVety, P. J., Ware, B. J., & Ware, C. L. (2009). Fundamentals of menu planning. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons. Read More