Denise Capoano - Philadelphia Campus

During my Food Service rotation at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, I had the opportunity to work with some great chefs.  On several occasions we marketed a Chick Pea, Red Pepper and Quinoa soup which drew a crowd!  Nutrition information was provided and the focus was on the benefits of the soup including antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids and the relationship to having a quality protein.  Q & A sessions were provided at the various food service locations on this campus.

Each morning my preceptor conducted the morning huddle with the employees.  The Food Service Manager covered a variety of topics such as temperature requirements for the foods, employee safety requirements, client satisfactions surveys, upcoming promotional events and other pertinent issues concerning the food service.  Employees were encouraged to ask questions or they were asked questions and were required to respond to determine their knowledge level.  This was such an impressive group of Sodexo employees!  When it came time to do my in-service project, I didn’t know what more I could teach this group of knowledgeable staff.  I decided to focus on the health and well being of the staff for my project.  The project was centered around ergonomic exercises.  The Food Service Manager was so thrilled at the presentation and engagement of the employees that he decided to have me lead the employees in ergonomic exercises every morning.  I was even asked to go to the other food service locations on campus to instruct those Sodexo food service employees.

My Food Service rotation and location will be a lasting memory as I reflect on the various experiences that have been provided to me during my dietetic internship.