Nutrition Tool

      The Synbiotix Nutrition Tool comes preloaded with a database of over 18,000 items sourced from various suppliers across Scotland. We've collaborated with National Procurement (NP) to ensure that suppliers listed with NP have supplied their data to the reference library. Maintenance is a joint effort between National Procurement, Synbiotix, and the suppliers.

      Ideally, suppliers provide us with an Application Programming Interface (API), a link between their database and ours, for real-time updates. Where API's exist with suppliers like Brakes, Bidfood, and Apetito with existing APIs, the data refreshes every 24 hours, ensuring you access the latest information.

      However, in cases where an APIs doesn't exist, we rely on spreadsheets and manual uploads, causing potential delays. If a supplier within the Health Board hasn't shared data with NP, you can either create new products individually or perform a bulk upload using Excel templates.

      In this channel, you will find Scribes to assist you in using the system effectively. We are constantly striving to improve our training resources, and we value any feedback you may have. You can give feedback on a Scribe by clicking the smiley face icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.

      If you require help with a process not currently covered here, please let us know and we can produce it on demand.

      Understanding the Nutrition Tool HomepageGroup Menus for Nutritional AnalysisReview and Analyse Menus in the Weekly Planner

      Menu Administration

      To set up a new menu, follow these steps:

      1. Create a new menu category (if necessary).

        Each menu is organised within a menu category. For example, if you have a Standard Menu that repeats every two weeks, the category would be 'Standard Menu.'

        Please note this can only be done through menuPick

        Manage Menu Categories and Set Section Groups

      2. Create a new menu.

        Menus are placed within a menu category. For instance, a Standard Menu on a two-week cycle, would have 14 menus within it named 'Monday Lunch Week 1', 'Tuesday Lunch Week 1', etc. The system can set up this cycle automatically for you when adding a new menu.

        Add a New Menu (Nutrition Tool)

      3. Add a Menu Schedule.

        The Menu Schedule determines when the menu is available to patients. For example, you can schedule the 'Monday Lunch Week 1' menu to appear every other week in the system for lunch orders on Mondays.

        This step can be done while adding a new menu (see the Add a New Menu scribe above), or you can choose to do it manually.

        Manage Menu Schedules (Nutrition Tool)

      4. Add items to the menu.

        Add and Remove Items from Menus (Nutrition Tool)

      Recipe Administration

      Print a Recipe (Nutrition Tool)

      To add a new recipe, follow these steps:

      1. Add the item to the system. The item must be set up before you can add the recipe.

        Add a Production Item (Nutrition Tool)

        1. If the item is used in a bulk food service, you may need to add container information to the item.

          Add Container Information to an Item (Nutrition Tool)

      2. Add the recipe.

        Add a Recipe (Nutrition Tool)

      3. Add ingredients to the recipe. If your ingredients aren't already in the system, they need to be added before they can be included in the recipe. See "Ingredient Administration" below for guidance.

        Add Ingredients to a Recipe (Nutrition Tool)

      4. Add the recipe steps. These outline the preparation instructions and appear on production screens.

        Add Recipe Steps (Nutrition Tool)

      By following the above steps, you can create a basic recipe with ingredient quantities and production instructions.

      For accurate recipe information, follow the below steps:

      1. Configure the recipe portion sizes, yield and any weight changes. This information determines the number of portions produced and the nutritional values per portion.

        Configure Portion Sizes, Yield, and Weight Change for a Recipe (Nutrition Tool)

      2. Assign allergen information to the recipe. Although this information should automatically carry over from the ingredients, it's important to verify its accuracy. This information will appear on production labels and patient order screens.

        Assign Allergen Information to a Recipe (Nutrition Tool)

      3. Set nutritional and dietary information for the recipe. The system can compare nutritional values to BDA guidelines and automatically assign the relevant diet coding, or you can set this manually.

        Set Recipe Nutritional and Dietary Information (Nutrition Tool)

      Ingredient Administration

      To add a new ingredient, follow these steps:

      1. Add the ingredient.

        Add an Ingredient (Nutrition Tool)

      2. Add supplier information and purchase packs to the ingredient. This allows the ingredient to be used in the automated stock order process.

        Add Supplier Information and Purchase Packs to an Ingredient (Nutrition Tool)

      3. Link the ingredient to a supplier database to access allergen and nutritional information. This step is crucial, as the ingredient allergen information will be automatically updated in the system if the supplier makes changes, and this information will pull through to your recipes.

        Assign Allergen and Nutritional Information to an Ingredient (Nutrition Tool)