Philadelphia Celebrates Hospital Food Improvements

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It has long been an irony in the American health care system: hospital food is among the unhealthiest food served anywhere.

But Philadelphia health officials recently celebrated improvements at local hospitals.

It was so bad the CDC had to intervene. It gave four-year grants to cities to help their local hospitals improve their kitchens.

In Philadelphia, the non-profit Common Market is leading the now two-year-old effort.

Founder Tatiana Granados says hospitals had fallen for industrialized food that it could heat and serve:

"A lot of the kitchens didn't even have space for preparing fresh food."

But some have come a long way. Granados recognized six that meet new standards for salt, fat and sugar, and provide more fresh food.

Temple executive chef Jeffrey Klova credits local urban farming:

"The availability to get local ingredients from those farms has made things very accessible to inner-city hospitals."

Another winner was Cancer Treatment Centers.

"To us, food is medicine that goes in their body to help them heal," says executive chef Charles Deery.

He adds he makes everything from scratch.

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