Compass Group Japan Strengthens Medical and Nursing Care Food Service Provision System
Compass Group Japan has welcomed Morinaga Shokken, a company specializing in medical and nursing care food services in Kyushu, into its group. To address labor shortages, they will strengthen a hybrid food service system that combines on-site cooking and freezing technology, aiming to achieve both service quality and operational efficiency.
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- 📰 Published: April 8, 2026 at 00:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 7, 2026 at 15:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 19:57 (316h 26m after Collected)
Compass Group Japan Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Takashi Ishida; hereinafter 'CGJ'), the Japanese subsidiary of the world's largest contract food service company, UK-based Compass Group, announced on March 31, 2026, that it has welcomed Morinaga Shokken Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Oita City, Oita Prefecture; Representative Director: Takami Morinaga; hereinafter 'Morinaga Shokken'), a company with an outstanding track record in the field of medical and nursing care food services based in the Kyushu region, as a new partner to strengthen its food provision system for medical and nursing care facilities. Amid the need to balance responses to the worsening labor shortage with the provision of high-quality meals, we will propose a flexible operational system that optimally combines on-site cooking with advanced freezing technology according to the needs of facilities, contributing to the stabilization and efficiency of facility operations while maintaining the quality of meal services.
### ■ Background: Challenges in Medical and Nursing Care Food Services
In Japan's medical and nursing care settings, in addition to common challenges like severe labor shortages and soaring costs, there is a need to respond to different operational conditions and constraints at each facility. The challenges are as diverse as the number of sites, including, for example, the cooking system during early morning hours when securing staff is particularly difficult, labor shortages in specific areas where recruitment is challenging, and limitations on menus due to the size and equipment of kitchens.
To provide more flexible solutions to these diversifying on-site challenges, CGJ has welcomed Morinaga Shokken, a company with high expertise in manufacturing its own high-quality 'cook-freeze (fully cooked frozen foods, hereinafter 'frozen prepared meals')', into the group. This allows us to maintain the strength of on-site cooking (cook-serve) that CGJ has cherished, while also enabling proposals that combine Morinaga Shokken's advanced freezing technology according to the location and needs of the facility.
### ■ Three Values Brought by Frozen Prepared Meals
By utilizing Morinaga Shokken's frozen prepared meals, we primarily offer the following three values:
1. **Choice of 'Hybrid Operation' to Supplement Labor Shortages**
In areas or during early morning hours where securing staff is particularly difficult, it becomes possible to choose an operation that combines conventional on-site cooking with Morinaga Shokken's 'frozen prepared meals'. This supports further stabilization of facility operations while maintaining handmade quality.
2. **Provision of Advanced Form and Therapeutic Diets for the 'Joy of Eating'**
Product lines such as the mousse meal 'Raku-raku Smooth,' which combines good taste and appearance, will be added to CGJ's menu offerings. This expands the choices for 'more delicious therapeutic and nursing care meals' tailored to the physical condition of each user, contributing to further improvement in meal satisfaction.
3. **Strengthening BCP (Business Continuity Plan) for Disasters and Emergencies**
High-quality frozen prepared meals are also an effective option as 'emergency stockpile food' in times of crisis, such as disasters or infectious disease outbreaks. By having prepared meals linked to regular menus as a rolling stock, we can provide peace of mind by ensuring uninterrupted meal service in case of an emergency, tailored to customer needs.
Supporting these values are Morinaga Shokken's manufacturing technology and quality control system.
### ■ Morinaga Shokken's Technology and Quality Supporting Frozen Prepared Meals
1. **'Freshly Made' Taste Created by Technological Advancement**
The cook-freeze technology, which rapidly freezes food immediately after cooking, preserves the flavor, texture, and nutritional value of the ingredients.
### ■ Background: Challenges in Medical and Nursing Care Food Services
In Japan's medical and nursing care settings, in addition to common challenges like severe labor shortages and soaring costs, there is a need to respond to different operational conditions and constraints at each facility. The challenges are as diverse as the number of sites, including, for example, the cooking system during early morning hours when securing staff is particularly difficult, labor shortages in specific areas where recruitment is challenging, and limitations on menus due to the size and equipment of kitchens.
To provide more flexible solutions to these diversifying on-site challenges, CGJ has welcomed Morinaga Shokken, a company with high expertise in manufacturing its own high-quality 'cook-freeze (fully cooked frozen foods, hereinafter 'frozen prepared meals')', into the group. This allows us to maintain the strength of on-site cooking (cook-serve) that CGJ has cherished, while also enabling proposals that combine Morinaga Shokken's advanced freezing technology according to the location and needs of the facility.
### ■ Three Values Brought by Frozen Prepared Meals
By utilizing Morinaga Shokken's frozen prepared meals, we primarily offer the following three values:
1. **Choice of 'Hybrid Operation' to Supplement Labor Shortages**
In areas or during early morning hours where securing staff is particularly difficult, it becomes possible to choose an operation that combines conventional on-site cooking with Morinaga Shokken's 'frozen prepared meals'. This supports further stabilization of facility operations while maintaining handmade quality.
2. **Provision of Advanced Form and Therapeutic Diets for the 'Joy of Eating'**
Product lines such as the mousse meal 'Raku-raku Smooth,' which combines good taste and appearance, will be added to CGJ's menu offerings. This expands the choices for 'more delicious therapeutic and nursing care meals' tailored to the physical condition of each user, contributing to further improvement in meal satisfaction.
3. **Strengthening BCP (Business Continuity Plan) for Disasters and Emergencies**
High-quality frozen prepared meals are also an effective option as 'emergency stockpile food' in times of crisis, such as disasters or infectious disease outbreaks. By having prepared meals linked to regular menus as a rolling stock, we can provide peace of mind by ensuring uninterrupted meal service in case of an emergency, tailored to customer needs.
Supporting these values are Morinaga Shokken's manufacturing technology and quality control system.
### ■ Morinaga Shokken's Technology and Quality Supporting Frozen Prepared Meals
1. **'Freshly Made' Taste Created by Technological Advancement**
The cook-freeze technology, which rapidly freezes food immediately after cooking, preserves the flavor, texture, and nutritional value of the ingredients.