5 things: NYC students testify to City Council about unpopular school food options

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:

New York City school kids recently testified to the City Council about unpopular food options that have some students tossing their lunch in the trash. The council raised concerns about the meals being served to students after images of less-than-appetizing dishes circulated on social media. “I’ve been served stale waffles during breakfast and barely cooked chicken nuggets and fries,” one student testified while others said that some food choices didn’t meet their religious or dietary restrictions.

Read more: NYC Council hears students’ testimony over gross meals served in school

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a law banning the use of latex gloves in food preparation and medical services because of the dangers of latex allergies that can range from skin irritation to severe anaphylaxis. The legislation includes provisions for allowing food service unable to source non-latex gloves to use latex gloves providing prominent signage warns customers of the change.

Related:5 tech things: Robots to return to Ohio State this fall

Read more: Illinois bans use of latex gloves in healthcare, food service

Compass Group Canada has announced the launch of an innovation division to advance its commitment to stay ahead of industry trends by investing in state-of-the-art technology, new culinary concepts, sustainability and frictionless experiences, building on the Compass Digital Labs tech-division it debuted in 2016. The innovation team includes subject matter experts across multiple fields such as user experience design, AI consulting, technology transformation, go-to-market, consumer research and sustainability.

Read more: Compass Group Canada, Canada’s Leading Food Service and Support Provider, Launches New Innovation Division

ISS A/S has announced that Susanne Jorgensen will take over the role as CEO, Americas Region, effective 1 July 2022, succeeding Dan Ryan, who has decided to step down. ISS is the parent of FM Top 50 firm ISS Guckenheimer, which it acquired in 2017 with Ryan playing an instrumental role in the transaction that has strengthened the breadth of food services ISS provides to clients in the US. Jorgensen joined ISS in September 2017, initially as Regional CFO for Americas before moving to her current role as CEO North America in December 2020.

Related:5 things: ISS Guckenheimer pledges 55% plant-based menu options by 2025

Read more: ISS A/S : Susanne Jorgensen named CEO, Americas Region

Twelve elementary school children at a childcare program in Juneau, Alaska, drank floor sealant believing it was milk after it was served to students, according to the school district. Students in a summer care program at Sitʼ Eeti Shaanáx̱-Glacier Valley Elementary School began complaining that the milk they were served as part of the program's breakfast tasted bad and was burning their mouths and throats. The site manager for RALLY, the summer care program, contacted poison control and alerted parents, and "all steps provided by poison control were carefully followed," according to a statement by the district.

Read more: Alaska schoolchildren were served floor sealant instead of milk at a child care program, school district says

Bonus: Aramark pledges 25% greenhouse gas reduction by 2030

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]