Blog Posts

With everyone back in the office and production in full force, 2024 feels like a new beginning. We are excited about our new menu items, addition of packaging styles, increased vegan and vegetarian options, and some new menu items that we will debut throughout the year. Vegan and Vegetarian menu items, along with Gluten free, have been our fastest risers. Gluten free Vegetarian Lasagna, and each of our vegetables are clean label, allergen free and gluten free. We know the sound of Vegan may not sound delicious, but when you start with fresh vegetables and limited additional ingredients, you'll change your mind quickly and enjoy the rich creamy flavors. Our greatest joy is working with healthcare professionals around the country. It's exciting to talk about flavor and variety, along with patient satisfaction with a textured diet rather than the "OG" flavors and colors of what was once thought as an only option for soft meals. Beige should be out of the soft texture description and "bright, natural, and flavorful" should replace all discussions around what soft meals are. Each of us continue to be very proud of what we serve and the lives we impact. It matters to us. Bulk packaging has seen an increase in number of items as well. Vegetables and proteins are now offered in two (2) five (5) pound pouches in each texture. Individual and complete 3 compartment meals are color coded, identify allergens, and best buy dates to make selection and picking of IDDSI levels easy for your staff. If you'd like to schedule a tasting and discuss our over 55 (yes, 55) menu options in each of the IDDSI levels 4 (pureed), 5 (Minced and Moist), and 6 (soft and bite sized) please give us a call or use our contact us button. We look forward to working with you.   more...

Summer and IDDSI Transition

It's been a great start to Summer here at Blossom Foods! The new plated meals, in each texture, have been well received and our bulk options continue to grow. Our menu has significantly increased in size and we work on keeping the flavors great, the colors real, and the labels clean. The IDDSI diet levels have kept us busy with increasing the amount of educational materials we are able to offer and making the labels/colors easier to identify. We are still scheduling times to meet with our customers to taste and discuss the new textures, please don't hesitate to contact us! Sue
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Fundamentals of Dysphagia: Causes and Symptoms

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, may be caused by injury, stroke, cancer, or Parkinson’s disease, to name a few. Depending on the cause, symptoms of dysphagia may include coughing when eating or drinking, food or liquid leaking from the mouth, or a wet sounding voice during or after eating or drinking. If gone untreated, dysphagia in the long term may lead to a higher risk of aspiration (food or liquid gets into lungs), dehydration, or malnutrition.
If prescribed a modified texture diet, you may become very familiar with foods like the pureed (IDDSI Level 4) Pepper Beef featured in this photo! Fresh USDA beef is slow cooked with sweet green peppers to make this delicious entrée. It’s available in IDDSI levels 4, 5, and 6, and can stand alone as an A La Carte dish, or as the star of the Pepper Beef, Spinach, and Potatoes meal.   more...

IDDSI Testing Methods

When it comes to soft textured foods, testing is essential for us to ensure we’ve reached the correct consistency!
According to IDDSI, approved food testing methods include the Fork Drip test, Spoon Tilt test, and Fork or Spoon Pressure test.   more...

Quick Reference Guide - IDDSI

In a hurry, and couldn’t catch our last post about IDDSI? No problem! This quick reference guide gives you a rundown on the key elements of IDDSI Levels 4, 5 and 6.
For those of us who are better visual learners, we’ve provided photos to make it easier to compare each texture. As you can see, there is a clear difference in consistency and food particle size as you upgrade from Pureed to Minced & Moist and Soft & Bite-Sized. Keep in mind that each upgrade in texture also requires a greater ability to chew and swallow, so individuals should remember to consult their healthcare teams prior to upgrading their diets, and healthcare staff must be adequately trained to recognize appropriate foods for each diet level.   more...

Blossom Foods Education Advancement Team (EAT) Presents: IDDSI General Guide

Hello All!
Thank you for checking out the first installment of our education series. As we've said before, we want to present IDDSI, dysphagia, and nutrition in an approachable, easy-to-understand way. But first thing's first: What is IDDSI and what does it mean for healthcare institutions and individuals alike?   more...

Blossom Foods Welcomes 2021

Well, we may be about a month late but as the saying goes, "Better late than never!" We've been pretty delayed in general on updating our customers so we hope to start today.
Our response to COVID has been as successful as it could be. With our additional sanitizing stations and space requirements, we have been fully operational. 2020 saw a great year for our team and company in terms of growth and commitment. We are extremely grateful that each of our team members have embraced the new standards in the midst of this awful pandemic and that our rapid growth has been sustainable.   more...

Blossom Food's Response to COVID-19 & Noteworthy Developments

Hello All! Blossom Foods has had quite a few new developments since the last time we touched base and is excited to share our evolving role with the IDDSI conversation, our increase in production, new menu items, and how our staff is responding and adapting its business to COVID-19. Our Response to COVID-19 As a USDA inspected-certified kitchen, we are fortunate to have a USDA Inspector in our building each and every day. Our HACCP program dictates strict cleaning protocols before, during, and after production to ensure our kitchen, equipment, warehouse, and employees follow strict codes of compliance. This includes the use of industrial, food grade disinfectants, gloves with excessive hand washing in between the switching of gloves for various tasks, changing of smocks, use of hairnets and face covers. Employees are held to strict physical health standards also included in our HACCP plan. We take what we do very seriously for the protection of those we serve. You can be assured we are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of those most important to us and to you, the patient/consumer. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. We have increased our production of our products as well. Using disposable, recyclable plates, we have begun to increase our inventory to accommodate the needs of the healthcare industry. We have found many facilities using the Level 6 – Soft Chop texture for a regular diet given the limited staffing, need to get the patient their meals without manipulating any of the food on the plate. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or suggestions. The IDDSI Diet Since 2008, Blossom Foods has created menu items in Puree, Ground, and Soft Chop textures following the National Dysphagia Diet guidelines. As you may know, in 2017 Blossom Foods continues to offer these textures on its menu with the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) and modified our textures to the following: Level 4 –Pureed Level 5 – Minced & Moist Level 6 – Soft Chop Level 7 – Regular & Renal Diet We are proud to be members of the IDDSI conversation and provide healthcare facilities and consumers with the knowledge to understand the IDDSI diet level guideline goal to standardize textured meals. We offer our menu items in 3 compartment divided, round plates as well as a la carte in individual servings. Our items can be steamed, microwaved and/or re-thermed. Internet – Direct To Consumer We continue to work on getting our online ordering and packaging ready to ship direct once again. We believe we are extremely close to offering the meals direct to homes for those that need it. Please check back in the coming weeks. We wish all of you well and want you to know that we are still here, doing our best to keep up with demand and prepare delicious meals in soft textures. Sue   more...

Hello All! For the Thanksgiving Holiday, the last day for shipping is Monday, Nov. 25th, so place your orders before the 22nd for guaranteed delivery! Hope everyone is doing well! Blossom   more...

05/22/2019

Welcome!

Loyal, and much-appreciated Blossom Foods home-consumers,
For the past 11 years, Blossom Foods has been extremely honored to be a part of your lives. We have loved the feedback and getting to know you and your loved-ones; it is something we truly cherish. We enjoy hearing your feedback, praise, and the ways we can improve. Serving you is what started this company. It is what drives us today, and what makes us want to serve tomorrow. Blossom Foods is growing, and the demand is straining. Direct home-consumer deliveries have been a foundational part of the company. Unfortunately, the issues involved with providing direct home-consumer deliveries have surpassed our ability to continue providing this service.   more...

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