SANTO STEFANO HOSPITAL: Nutrition as part of care.
Since April 2026, patients at Santo Stefano Hospital in Prato, who have difficulty swallowing, have been served specially prepared meals with a soft, safe texture that preserve the flavour, appearance and nutritional value of traditional dishes.
Food is an essential part of care.
Today, more than ever, food is about much more than nutrition. A meal can be a sensory experience, evoke memories or create a sense of connection. This is the essence of comfort food – food that brings comfort and evokes positive feelings.
This emotional value becomes particularly important during medical treatment or when dealing with complex conditions. Thanks to specially prepared meals with a soft, safe texture, this is now possible in hospitals too. Patients with swallowing difficulties can enjoy familiar dishes, from a delicious plate of spaghetti to a freshly baked pizza, without having to compromise on taste.
Since April 2026, patients at Santo Stefano Hospital in Prato have been able to enjoy this experience at every meal. It shows that hospital catering is far more than a supporting service: it is an essential part of the patient's care and rehabilitation process.
A significant clinical challenge.
Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing safely, affects around 15% of people over the age of 65 and up to 80% of patients in the acute phase following a stroke. It can also occur in people with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis, as well as in cancer patients who have undergone surgery in the head and neck region. If left unmanaged, dysphagia can have serious consequences, including malnutrition, dehydration and longer hospital stays. Eating can become a source of anxiety rather than nourishment, potentially compromising recovery and adherence to treatment. For healthcare professionals, managing dysphagia is also a significant patient safety challenge, requiring appropriate clinical care and well-organised services.
Addressing this challenge means going beyond standardised puréed diets to provide a service that combines safety, nutritional value, enjoyment of food and dignity at mealtimes.
The pleasure of eating as part of the care journey.
To address this challenge, Santo Stefano Hospital in Prato (Azienda USL Toscana Centro), with the support of service provider GE.SAT and in close collaboration with Markas, launched the innovative project “The Pleasure of Eating as Part of the Care Journey” in April 2026. The initiative reflects the hospital management’s commitment to bringing together the different stakeholders involved in healthcare to address this sensitive issue through a collaborative approach.
The project is built around a technology we have introduced that adapts the texture of traditional dishes while preserving their flavour, appearance and nutritional value. This creates a comprehensive catering service that addresses patients’ needs on several levels.
The service ensures a uniform, safe texture that reduces the risk of choking.
The service ensures reliable nutritional intake, with calorie and protein levels tailored to the specific needs of vulnerable patients.
Dishes such as risotto alla Milanese, aubergine parmigiana and tiramisu retain flavours that are remarkably close to the originals. This is about more than appearance: people who do not enjoy their meals tend to eat less, with direct consequences for their nutritional status and recovery.
From pilot project to hospital-wide implementation.
In the initial phase, the project focused on cancer patients who had undergone head and neck surgery. For these particularly vulnerable patients, regaining the ability to eat is an important part of rehabilitation, yet they risk suddenly losing the enjoyment of food during one of the most challenging stages of their recovery. Around 80 inpatients received meals with modified textures during the initial phase. Monitoring results indicate that rediscovering the pleasure of eating can provide valuable support throughout the treatment and recovery process.
The high levels of patient satisfaction, particularly the significant improvement in meal acceptance, led to the project being extended to all hospitalised patients with dysphagia.
Around 80 inpatients in the initial phase, all cancer patients who had undergone head and neck surgery.
inpatients in the initial phase, all cancer patients who had undergone head and neck surgery.
meals per day estimated at full capacity.
hospitalised patients with dysphagia, following the initial phase.
OPERATIONS MANAGER AT MARKAS
“The result is the outcome of close collaboration between healthcare professionals, facilities and service providers.”
A odel for healthcare management.
For hospital management teams, a highly specialised catering service ensures consistent, carefully monitored nutritional standards, reduces the operational burden on ward staff and supports healthcare teams in their daily work. Safe swallowing and the prevention of malnutrition become essential elements of patient-centred care, helping to protect patients’ health and dignity throughout their treatment.
The experience in Prato also provides a replicable model of governance, with the potential to reduce complications associated with malnutrition and aspiration pneumonia. It demonstrates how a patient-centred partnership between a public healthcare facility and a private service provider can create meaningful benefits for patients while improving their overall care experience.
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