# Presentation: 228663

## Integrating Processed Commodities: Successful District Strategies 

- School Nutrition Association
- Annual Conference
- Chicago, IL
- July 2007

## Meet the Panel:

**Facilitator: **
**Sheldon Gordon, MS, RD, LD, USDA/FNS/FDD**
**Small District:  **
**Sandy Laffan, CN Director, Marietta City SD, GA**
**Medium District:**** **
**Lena Wilson, M.S., R.D., L.D., SNS**
**CN Director, Frisco ISD, TX**
**Large District:**
**Jorge Collazo, Executive Chef**
**SchoolFood, NYC DOE, NY**

## Meet the Districts

## Marietta City SchoolsMarietta, GA

## Marietta City Schools

**Marietta City Schools**

- 	Located 12 miles north of Atlanta GA
- 	Enrollment 7,900
- 	69% Free and Reduced Enrollment
- 	11 Schools + Contract Meals Preschool
- 	74% Lunch Participation and
- 	69% Breakfast Participation
- 	108,000+ snacks served this year
- 	Active Summer Food Service Program
- 	$284,160 Annual Revenue Sales
- 	5 schools are Provision II schools serving >90%
- 	for breakfast and Lunch

## Frisco Independent School DistrictFrisco, TX

**Frisco Independent School District****Frisco, TX**

## Frisco ISD

**Frisco ISD**

- 	25 miles north of Dallas
- 	Enrollment >28,000 (12% minority)
- 	9.5% Free and Reduced
- 	37 Schools (4 HS not on NSLP)
- 	70% Lunch Participation
- 	<20% Breakfast Participation
- 	>173,000 snacks served SY0607
- 	Minimal summer feeding
- 	$4.8 million Non-Reimbursable Revenue Sales
- 	Enrollment expected to reach 54,000 by 2012

## New York CityDept of Education

**New York City****Dept of Education**

## New York City Schools

**New York City Schools**

- 	Largest US School district
- 	Enrollment 1,062,000
- 	86.4% Free and Reduced
-  	1,626 Schools
- 	67.3% Lunch Participation – ADP 600,434
- 	20.3% Breakfast Participation – ADP 161,023
-  	940,744 ASP Snacks served April 06 – April 07
- 	285,575 Dinners served April 06 – April 07 (CACFP)
- 	Summer Food Service Program 2006:
- Breakfast 2,043,692 – Lunch 4,443,133
-       Universal Breakfast: 551 Schools
-       Universal Lunch: 557 Schools

## Nutritional Initiatives

- Procurement Strategies

- Commodity Processing

- Culinary Standards

## NutritionalInitiatives

## Nutritional Initiatives

**Marietta City Schools****Marietta, GA**

## Nutritional Initiatives

- 	Enhanced Food-Based Menu Plan/Offer	verse Serve at all schools serving 1⁄2 cup 	fruits 	and vegetable at lunch
- 	Target of 29% fat to calories in lunch
- 	Offer fresh fruit and vegetables daily at 	lunch

## Nutritional Initiatives

- 	Serve reduced fat and sugar milks
- 	Grains are offered daily at lunch, K-6 12 	servings per week; 7-12 15 servings per 	week
- 	Working to reduce sodium with processors
- 	Only handle fully cooked meats, no raw 	product if possible

## Frisco Independent School DistrictFrisco, TX

**Frisco Independent School District****Frisco, TX**

## Nutritional Initiatives

- 	Key to everything with our demographics
- 	K-5 classroom education
- Wellness Requirement Affirmation
- Tracked and reported
- 	Student Advisory 6-12
- Lessons
- Kitchen Tours ~ Observation of Duties

## Nutritional Initiatives

- 	Parents very vocal about perceptions
- Request nutritional information
- Available on website
- Multicultural population
- 	Pork products not served at any campus
- 	Recent requests for “peanut free campuses”
- 	Alternate meal changes to better meet 	deficient nutrients

## Nutritional InitiativesOther Strategies

- 	Newsletters
- 	Menus
- 	Website
- 	Self branding
- 	Nutri-Café (Virtual Café)
- 	Parents can build trays with nutritional 		content
- 	All items included

## New York CityDept of Education

**New York City****Dept of Education**

## Nutritional Initiatives

-   Created full time position of
**     ****Nutrition Coordinator (MSRD) **
-   Follow American Heart Association
-      guidelines for sodium and fat content
-   Meet or exceed USDA nutritional
-      guidelines on a daily basis

## Nutritional Initiatives SchoolFood Guidelines

- 	Self imposed guidelines for sodium,  	cholesterol and high fructose corn syrup
- 	Eliminate Trans Fats from all products
- 	Eliminate HFCS where possible
- 	Prohibit artificial colors, ingredients, 	sweeteners, BHA, BHT and MSG

## Nutritional Initiatives Program Implementation

- Increase Fresh Fruits & Vegetable Consumption
- Implement Salad Bars in High Schools
- Serve Whole Wheat Bread
- Offer 1%, Skim and Chocolate Skim Milk
- SchoolFood Plus: Plant Based Foods and Local Procurement
- Free Breakfast for All Students Citywide
- Reformulation

## Commodity Processing 

## Marietta City SchoolsMarietta, GA

## Commodity ProcessingBenefits

- 	Fat content can be controlled  by 	receiving fully cooked meat vs. raw brown 	box
- 	Lower cost on items
- 	Requires organization in ordering, 	inventory, and menus
- 	All entitlement money is always spent, 	never leave money on the table with 	processing

## Commodity ProcessingBenefits

- 	Use most of money on center of the plate
- 	Assured of the items you will receive and 	quality- you know what you are receiving 	and when
- 	Direct ship to district warehouse saves  	distributor handling fee

## Commodity ProcessingBenefits in Georgia

- 	Over 20 in-state processors
- 	Aggressive State Association for SNA who 	sponsors annual commodity CROP show
- 	Innovative State Department of Education who 	handles the commodities training on ordering, 	getting the most of your entitlement
- 	ECOS ordering

## Commodity ProcessingItems Processed

- Beef  - 	taco, spaghetti, crumbles, burgers, 		patties, and fingers
- Chicken- 	8 piece cut up, nuggets, fajita meat 		and patties
- Turkey- 	sliced for sandwiches, breakfast meat 		items
- Eggs- 	whole, diced, scrambled, French toast, 		wraps, burritos, sandwiches, and 			omelets.

## Commodity ProcessingItems Processed

- Cheese- 	sauce, sliced, 1 oz string, and 			shredded, pizza, sandwiches
- Tomatoes- 	sauce, catsup and spaghetti sauce
- Peanut Butter- Sandwiches
- Bonus in past: Non-fat dried milk, & fruit

## Frisco Independent School DistrictFrisco, TX

**Frisco Independent School District****Frisco, TX**

## Commodity Processing

- 	Texas allows use of dollars in any 	category
- 	8% DOD Fresh Fruit & Vegetables
- 	100% balance used for commodity 	processing
- 	Receive all commodity items direct ship to 	warehouse to save storage/delivery costs

## Commodity ProcessingItems Processed

- Beef
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Potatoes

- Tomato Paste
- Chicken
- Fruit
- Turkey

## New York CityDept of Education

**New York City****Dept of Education**

## Commodity Processing

- 	Identify High Volume and Popular Menu Items
- 	Identify items that provide a better “**Bang for the ****	****Buck**” – High Yield
- 	“Center of the Plate” vs. “Brown Box” Items
- 	Multiple Items with the same manufacturer

## Commodity Processing

- 	Utilize alternative proteins to help meet 	nutritional standards: ISP and VPP
- 	Same Specification for Donated & Purchased 	Items
-     DoD Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program

## ProcurementStrategies 

## Marietta City SchoolsMarietta, GA

## Procurement Strategies

- 	Most all bids are with the coop as a group
- 	Point system on foods accepted at blind 	taste test 	when tested
- 	Evaluated on taste, appearance, nutritional, 	acceptability and serving size
- 	Documentation is used with Nutrition 	Advisory 	Councils at each school on student acceptability
- 	Single Inventory Reporting Purchased with 	USDA Commodities and Processed Items

## Frisco Independent School DistrictFrisco, TX

**Frisco Independent School District****Frisco, TX**

## Procurement Strategies

- Priority is center of plate items
-  Biggest impact on food costs
-  Limited WH space
- DOD Produce
-  Allocation usually covers purchases for 1 	month
-  Utilized in highly disadvantaged campuses 	as priority

## New York CityDept of Education

**New York City****Dept of Education**

## Procurement Strategies

- 	Contract Direct with Manufacturers
- 	Single Bid for Donated & Purchased
- 	Distribution Bid
- 	Support Locally Grown and Manufactured 	Product within the Competitive Market 	Place

## CulinaryStandards 

## Marietta City SchoolsMarietta, GA

## Culinary Standards

- 	Standardized recipes on all foods served
- 	Training of all staff yearly on new recipes at 	in-service on preparation of new dishes
- 	Visual photographs of how plated box 	meals should be presented

## Culinary Standards

- 	Monthly marketing features different food groups with Nutrition education on lines with details on how to decorate lines, giveaways and morning announcement all relating to the monthly focus

## Culinary Standards

- 	Serve reduced fat and sugar milks
- 	Grains are offered daily at lunch, K-6 12 	servings per week; 7-12 15 servings per 	week
- 	Working to reduce sodium with processors
- 	Only handle fully cooked meats, no raw 	product if possible

## Culinary StandardsGEC Cooperative

- Culinary StandardsGEC Cooperative

- Tour manufacturers as a group to review the company’s  safety, security, product knowledge and HACCP practices

## Frisco Independent School DistrictFrisco, TX

**Frisco Independent School District****Frisco, TX**

## Culinary Standards

-      Presentation is key
-      Service is critical
-      No gloved hands
-      Tongs, Ladles
-      Service Area
-      Chef on staff to test recipes

**“****Would I purchase this if I went out to lunch?”**
**Question that drives what we do**

## Culinary Standards

-      Variety of item preparation methods on menu
-      Scratch
-      Steam
-      Baked
-      Commodities utilized in recipes
-      Chicken Quesadillas (Diced Chicken)
-      Sauces (Beef Crumbles)

## Culinary Standards

-      Recipes and items tested with students
-      Seasonings added to meet profile
-      Education on products
-      Perception
-      Blind taste testing

## New York CityDept of Education

**New York City****Dept of Education**

## Culinary StandardsCulinary Concepts Department

- 	Hired an Executive Chef
- 	Hired seven Regional Chefs
- 	Culinary Concepts department is responsible for:
***	******Establishing*** SchoolFood culinary standards
***	******Creating*** SchoolFood restaurants

## Culinary StandardsCreative Initiatives

- 	Product Development ~ Menu
- 	Recipe Development ~ Field Guides
- 	Professional Development
- 	New Program Implementation

## Culinary StandardsMarketing & Merchandising

## Culinary StandardsMarketing & Merchandising

-   The key components:
-   Service Line Décor
-   Station Signage
-   Art Décor
-   Calendar of events
-   Themed promotional events
-   Advertising, incentives and giveaways

## Culinary StandardsMarketing & Merchandising

## Panel Discussion 

## Slide 60

## Thank you!