State of K-12 foodservice: Facing the next disruption

School nutrition operators faced another challenge this spring when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its proposed changes to the School Nutrition Standards, the guidelines that schools must follow in order for student meals to be federally reimbursed.

The proposed changes, which will place further restrictions on ingredients like sodium and whole grains, were met negatively by a majority of respondents to FoodService Director’s 2023 State of K-12 Survey. 

Many respondents say they’re worried the changes will make it harder for them to run their programs as they continue to deal with the pandemic’s ripple effects. 

“When these changes start to go into effect, we (the end user) are charged more for products because of manufacturers having to change recipes and packaging,” says Terri Thomas, food service director for Corcoran Joint Unified School District in Corcoran, Calif. “Our budgets are already being stretched enough.”

Others are concerned manufacturers will cease making products for the K-12 market, since reworking their inventories to fit the new standards may not be worth producers’ time and financial investment.

“Manufacturers require time and funds to reformulate products to meet child nutrition guidelines. Our [state’s] procurement alliance has already experienced some manufacturers bowing out of bidding on products because [of] the strict guidelines,” says Nancy Price, school nutrition director for Newton-Conover City Schools in Newton, N.C. “Continued pushes to over-regulate and over-compensate the school lunches for Americans’ eating habits will end up being detrimental to our programs and what these programs were originally founded to provide.”

Focus on feeding kids

Instead of imposing stricter nutrition requirements, many survey respondents suggested that the USDA focus on ways to make it easier for them to feed kids. One component a handful of survey respondents felt was missing from the proposed nutrition standards was universal free meals. 

"Unless all meals are free for all students, we will not be able to serve the USDA's plan for healthier meals and expect continued participation,” says Jean Jordan-Ecker, nutrition director at Three Village Central School District in Stony Brook, N.Y. “When meals were free, students participated and were eating the healthy options leading to healthier students that could concentrate in school.” 

Other operators suggested that government officials focus on ways to encourage healthier eating outside of school. Unless students’ eating habits change at home and at restaurants, respondents argued, they will continue to dismiss school meals. 

Until the flavor profiles of retail and home-cooked foods match those in school meals, Eric Enciso, director of nutrition services for Colton Join Unified School District in Colton, Calif., believes school food will continue to be thrown in the trash. 

“These kids will go home hungry, if parents are still at work and under the watch of a grandparent or older sibling, the pantry will most likely be the source of after-school food, and pantry food is, in general, high in sodium,” Enciso says. “If kids eat high sodium foods at home, then are forced to eat very low sodium foods at school, I believe the foods will not be taken or consumed. Districts may be able to implement it, but the question should be: Will these new standards just create more school waste and increase the powder-crusted snacks at home?”

Read more of our 2023 State of K-12 Foodservice report.