This facility was designed for the production of 35,000 meals a day for the public school system. This includes high speed tray lines running at 80 meals a minute. Included also are tunnel wash equipment for carts, vegetable prep area and mixing room for ingredients. This facility located areas of food preparation adjacent to storage areas to minimize the distances for material movement. It was also designed to allow for flexibility of growth with insulated panels walls that can be relocated and with an interstitial ceiling to allow maintenance of utility systems to occur without disrupting production.
The detail work has emphasized the following:
- Easily cleanable non-corrosive surfaces
- Hot water systems
- Separation of species and raw and cooked foods
- HVAC air flows that control contamination of food
- Room temperatures that inhibit growth of pathogens
The goals of this project were to create a single point facility for the receipt of materials, the assembly of school meals and the efficient distribution of those meals and supplies to the schools with the Indianapolis Public School system.
A high priority has been placed on designing a facility that allows improved health and food safety practices to be implemented without a negative impact on production rates. When complete, this 58,000-sq-ft facility will produce high quality meals for approximately 22,500 elementary and high school students and faculty.
The facility is expected to become operational for testing during the first quarter of 2005. |
