Diet Order Types and Parameters

The MealSuite database includes select diet, texture, and fluid types (Diet Order Types) available for customer use. MealSuite Diet Order Types are evaluated annually and subject to change, based on updates to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Nutrition Care Manual (NCM) and the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) Guidelines.

Diet Order Types may be used by customers as is or be modified to align with the customer’s specific standards. Once modified by the customer, the customer takes full responsibility of the data maintenance associated with the modifications. Diet standards and/or definition requirements can vary by state, and therefore it is not uncommon to have differences noted between MealSuite database standards and customer specific standards. State regulations often supersede federal guidelines and regulations with relation to specific diet parameters. It is the responsibility of the customer to ensure they are following regulations as applicable for federal, state, and local jurisdictions.

Menus & Recipes

The seasonal menus planned for the MealSuite database are based on the USDA MyPlate and Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences. The Regular Diet Type is designed to meet the nutritional needs of healthy adults who do not have dietary restrictions and includes a variety of foods with consideration to the preferences of the population for which the menu is written. It provides an average of 2000 calories per day and incorporates recommendations from DRIs to meet the minimal nutrient requirements for adults (females 51 to 70 years of age, and >70 years of age if available). The DRI’s represent the most current scientific knowledge on the nutrient needs of the healthy population; however individual requirements may be higher or lower than the DRI’s.

Menu items/Recipes utilized specifically on MealSuite master menus are fully extended for the diet and texture combinations supported at the master level. Modifications to recipes for therapeutic and texture-modified menus are referenced to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Nutrition Care Manual (NCM) and the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI). Recipes not currently extended may be completed upon customer request following the MealSuite master standards for therapeutic and texture-modified diets.

Nutrients and Allergens

Nutrient analysis of food items, recipes, and menus contained in the database is referenced from the USDA Food Composition tables and manufacturer’s data if necessary. Nutrient sources for food items are selected based on comparability of the item with an acceptable 20% margin of error. This allowance is based on the 20% margin of error acceptable by the FDA for nutrient labels.

Federally mandated allergens are applied to a MealSuite master food item if found to be a declared allergen on >80% of scrutinized comparable commercially available products. Every effort has been made to identify these allergens in appropriate foods, however due to varying product formulations and updates from manufacturers unknown to MealSuite, customers are encouraged to validate the allergen on the label and/or from the manufacturer of the actual product being used prior to service.

Select non-federally mandated allergens are applied to MealSuite master food items. Non-federally mandated allergens are not required to be declared on product labels, and therefore cannot undergo the same level of scrutiny for inclusion or exclusion in the MealSuite system as do the federally mandated allergens. Foods known to contain the offending allergen will be marked as completely as possible.

Likes/Dislikes are intended to accommodate preferences and can be used to restrict or encourage the items a person will receive. Dislikes should not be used for the management of allergens, as foods associated with a dislike group may not be all encompassing to include the variety of forms a food may take during preparation, but which could still trigger an adverse reaction.

It is the due diligence of the customer to reference the specific facility’s diet policy/manual and manufacturer’s nutrition fact labels as necessary when managing food allergens and individual dietary preferences within the facility.