School Food Contract Hearing - Sodexho Magic = horsemeat and more of the same

[Anonymous]

There was a Council hearing on the new food contract process yesterday. We should all express gratitude to the newly formed DC School Food Project for at least making this tiny little public hearing happen. I'm afraid the panel didn't get a lot of attention outside of a handful of people on twitter. Considering there wasn't one CM speak out in favor of DCPS's murky process or the selection, I don't think they're going to take any actions to undo the contract (which unfortunately makes sense give how big the job is and how soon the school year starts).

Here was my takeaway:

* DCPS had no discernible criteria - at least one they were willing to share - for selecting the new school lunch vendor. They seemed to select the only vendor who could agree to their tight decision deadlines.
* If anything, it sounds like Sodexho could be worse that Chartwells. They certainly don't have a track record that is any better.

Hopefully the departure of Kaya, students will get someone who actually gives a damn about the quality of school lunches and doesn't mind doing the hard work of pulling these services inhouse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a Council hearing on the new food contract process yesterday. We should all express gratitude to the newly formed DC School Food Project for at least making this tiny little public hearing happen. I'm afraid the panel didn't get a lot of attention outside of a handful of people on twitter. Considering there wasn't one CM speak out in favor of DCPS's murky process or the selection, I don't think they're going to take any actions to undo the contract (which unfortunately makes sense give how big the job is and how soon the school year starts).

Here was my takeaway:

* DCPS had no discernible criteria - at least one they were willing to share - for selecting the new school lunch vendor. They seemed to select the only vendor who could agree to their tight decision deadlines.
* If anything, it sounds like Sodexho could be worse that Chartwells. They certainly don't have a track record that is any better.

Hopefully the departure of Kaya, students will get someone who actually gives a damn about the quality of school lunches and doesn't mind doing the hard work of pulling these services inhouse.

It did get some press, from the Washington Times, of all places.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/6/washington-dc-school-lunch-vendor-raises-alarms/

[Anonymous]

where's the horsemeat reference?

[Anonymous]

OP, can you state why it is acceptable for children to eat flesh from a cow, pig or chicken but not eat flesh from a horse (or rabbit, deer or lamb)?

Reminder: "ewwwww" isn't a science-based answer.

Good luck, answer I'll look forward to your rational answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It did get some press, from the Washington Times, of all places.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/6/washington-dc-school-lunch-vendor-raises-alarms/

Surprisingly, the Washington Times usually does a really good, unbiased job on local news. National, not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, can you state why it is acceptable for children to eat flesh from a cow, pig or chicken but not eat flesh from a horse (or rabbit, deer or lamb)?

Reminder: "ewwwww" isn't a science-based answer.

Good luck, answer I'll look forward to your rational answer.

I'm not the PP. I was at the hearing yesterday.

For starters, horse slaughter for consumption exists in a weird legal and ethical gray area. There are issues with horses receiving medication that is not safe for human consumption. There are issues with human treatment (though those also exist in the rest of the meat industry and a lot of people don't care). Americans do not consider horses to be "livestock" the same way they consider cows, pigs, and chickens to be livestock. They are viewed culturally as pets, not food.

Additionally, it is a labeling issue. If you are serving horse meat, do not label it as beef. Full stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, can you state why it is acceptable for children to eat flesh from a cow, pig or chicken but not eat flesh from a horse (or rabbit, deer or lamb)?

Reminder: "ewwwww" isn't a science-based answer.

Good luck, answer I'll look forward to your rational answer.

I'm not the PP. I was at the hearing yesterday.

For starters, horse slaughter for consumption exists in a weird legal and ethical gray area. There are issues with horses receiving medication that is not safe for human consumption. There are issues with human treatment (though those also exist in the rest of the meat industry and a lot of people don't care). Americans do not consider horses to be "livestock" the same way they consider cows, pigs, and chickens to be livestock. They are viewed culturally as pets, not food.

Additionally, it is a labeling issue. If you are serving horse meat, do not label it as beef. Full stop.

YAS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It did get some press, from the Washington Times, of all places.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/6/washington-dc-school-lunch-vendor-raises-alarms/

Surprisingly, the Washington Times usually does a really good, unbiased job on local news. National, not so much.

Isn't the guy from Daily Caller that is reporting the residency fraud in DC an investigative reporter for the Wash Times? His article was RIDDLED with inaccuracies about basic DC school stuff (DC TAG for example).

[Anonymous]

Sodexo is a French company after all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sodexo is a French company after all.

That's partnering with Magic Johnson. Can't make this stuff up.

[Anonymous]

I don't see the word "horse" in the article.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/6/washington-dc-school-lunch-vendor-raises-alarms/

Was horse meat mentioned in the hearing?

What is the deal with the thread title?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't see the word "horse" in the article.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/6/washington-dc-school-lunch-vendor-raises-alarms/

Was horse meat mentioned in the hearing?

What is the deal with the thread title?

I believe the serving of meat with traces of horsemeat, overcharging, and spoilage were all examples of non-compliance and violations Sodexho has incurred in other jurisdictions. This makes me so mad. Bad on Kaya. She can't leave soon enough for me.

[Anonymous]

Horsemeat story:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-21696325

[Anonymous]

The former food director for Dcps also bid on the contract. He's the guy who was doing a great job that Kaya fired. The word is that he will protest the contract award of the city council approves the contract. He has already won two lawsuits against DC so my money is on him. Hopefully he will be successful and we will finally have a vendor that cares about students.

[Anonymous]

Ask your council members to vote no, folks!