5 things: House passes bill allowing whole milk in schools

In this edition of 5 Things, Food Management highlights five things you may have missed recently about developments affecting onsite dining.

Here’s your list for today:

 1.    House passes bill allowing whole milk in schools

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which permits the National School Lunch Program to serve whole milk in school cafeterias for the first time since 2012.  It now heads to the Senate.

Read more: House passes bill allowing schools to serve whole milk

 2.    Cafe employing autistic workers opens at Texas tech

Through a partnership with Texas Tech University (TTU) Hospitality Services, the university’s Burkhart Center for Autism recently opened the Burkhart Cafe inside the Burkhart Center on the main TTU campus to “redefine the dining experience” while impacting the lives of individuals with autism. The center’s official website said its employees gain ”valuable working experience toward their goal of becoming independent in a supervised environment.”

Read more: Burkhart Cafe impacts lives and redefines dining experience

 3.    New rules likely to impact nursing home RDs

A new educational standard from the Commission on Dietetic Registration is likely to push nursing homes to use consultants and remote work more to meet required registered dietitian needs. Starting Jan. 1, new dietitians seeking to be registered will have to have at least a master’s degree before they can take the exam and while the change will not affect current registered dietitians or dietitians who are eligible to take their exams before the new rule takes effect, it is likely to impact the long-term care workforce in the future, experts say.

Related:5 tech things: NFL stadium opens two Verizon 5G “On the Fly” cashierless shops

Read more: New registered dietitian requirement may send more nursing homes to consultants

 4.    NYC developer bets on big-name restaurants as office amenity

New York City real estate development firm SL Green is making restaurants and food services a key component of its entire 28.8 million-sq.ft. Manhattan office portfolio, which is the city’s largest. Among its achievements are a planned partnership with multi-Michelin-star holder Daniel Boulud to launch his open-flame grill restaurant Steak in a “grand space” at SL Green's new One Madison development, which will also have an Omakase, Wagyu and Kobe Bar inspired by the success of Omakase’s Joji concept in the lower level of One Vanderbilt, which earned a Michelin star in its first year.

Read more: NYC developer banks on big-name restaurants to feed office building empire

Related:5 things: UC Berkeley commits to 50% plant-based dining by 2027

 5.    Former hospital cafeteria supervisor pleads guilty to stealing over $218K

Todd Jagow, the former supervisor of the cafeteria at Elmhurst Hospital in Illinois, has pleaded guilty to allegations he stole more than $218,000 from the hospital by creating fake refunds. He received a sentence of 180 days in jail, and will have to serve at least half before being eligible for release.

Read more: Man pleads guilty to stealing $218,630 from hospital

Bonus: This SoCal school district is taking farm-to-school seriously

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]