Eastman- Food Transport Carts Article

Food transport carts can simply be referred to as a mobile kitchen. It enables one to deliver food items to remote locations where it may not be convenient or possible to prepare the food. They are commonly found in the streets of large towns and cities as well as within institutions such as offices and hospitals.

They are different from food trucks since they are not self motorized and would need to be towed either by a person or even another vehicle. Food transport carts have been in use since the ancient times when they were used to deliver various types of fruits and vegetables to more recent times when they were used to serve meals in the train carriages.

The simplest of food transport carts is one that simply carries the food items from the kitchen to the delivery point. It may have a plate made of reflective material so as try and maintain the temperature of the food albeit for a short time. The pellet system is usually used in serving hot meals and it consists of a preheated plate on which the meal is placed. It may also have a preheated cover for the food items.

A hot and cold cart is one that has different compartments for refrigerated and heated food items. The hot and cold temperatures are electronically controlled.

The more advanced of the food transport carts are those that use the rethermalization techniques. This means that the food is delivered at any temperature and the reheated on the spot to the desired temperatures. This system ensures that the food is not kept at high temperatures for an unnecessarily long periods of time and as such the food quality is well maintained.

In selecting the most suitable food carts, one has to be aware of the amount of food to be delivered at any given time. The cart chosen should manage to carry as many food items as possible since this will reduce the number of personnel required. The quality of the food at delivery should also be a concern that should be considered.

These are the different types of food carts that can be used. The type in use will mainly depend on some factors:

1. The type of food items being served. Either hot or cold.

2. The area of operation.

3. The period of time in service delivery.

4. Costs involved in running the system such as purchase costs, maintenance costs and energy costs.

5. Flexibility of the system.