5 Things: Fines for candy rewards and hospital cuts GMOs

Each Friday I compile a list that highlights five things you probably missed in the news that week and why you should care about them.

Here’s your list for the week of June 1:

1.    Teacher facing fine for candy reward
A teacher in West Virginia is facing a possible fine for giving her students candy as a reward. Giving the sweets as a reward violates rules set forth by the state’s board of education. Upon hearing of the violation, the district’s child nutrition director contacted the board of education to report it. The policy also provides nutritional guidelines for what can and can’t be sold by the child nutrition department.

Read more: Candy reward causes backlash

2.    District disputes claim worker fired for feeding needy kids
Cherry Creek School District, just outside Denver, says a cafeteria manager who was fired was not let go because she gave hot lunches to students who could not pay, as the manager claimed. In a statement to the Denver Post, the district wrote: "It is important to share that the Cherry Creek School District has in place a practice that ensures that every student receives a nutritious meal regardless of their ability to pay. Ms. Curry was not dismissed for giving free food to financially disadvantaged students. Numerous documented incidents resulted in the action taken by the Cherry Creek School District."

Read more: Cherry Creek Schools says lunch lady wasn't fired for giving away food

3. Hospital to cut GMOs
The University of Vermont Medical Center is well known for its sustainability and health initiatives. The facility is adding another prong to its approach by reducing the amount of GMOs it serves. The move is being made for health reasons. “We don't believe that the safety of those products has been proven,” Diane Imrie, director of nutrition, said to the Burlington Free Press.

Read more: UVM Medical Center kitchen reducing GMOs

4.    Presidential memorandum puts antibiotic-free meats on the menus
In a memorandum from the White House, the General Services Administration has been required to ask foodservice vendors in government cafeterias to serve meat and poultry that complies with responsible antibiotics use. Other options are to be served so as to keep prices low, and those antibiotic-free meats should be labeled for customer awareness. The move is the start of a three-year study to collect data to create a contracting preference policy for vendors.  

Read more: Obama Pushes Healthier Meat Options at Federal Cafeterias

5.    Whataburger cuts breakfast hours over egg shortage
Starting June 1, the Southern-favorite fast food chain has cut its breakfast hours to four hours on weekdays and six hours on the weekends due to the national egg shortage. The country is facing the egg shortage due to an outbreak of bird flu, which has led to the deaths of millions of egg-laying hens.

Read more: Whataburger trims breakfast hours due to egg shortage

Bonus: Dining Spotlight: Top 5 Ways to Engage Students

Contact Becky Schilling at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter: @bschilling_FM