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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask your council members to vote no, folks!

"Just say Non!" to horse meat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Horsemeat story:

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

Can't even. Beyond appalling. And these people are going to be feeding our children? I'm moving to VA next year and not letting the door hit me. Rock bottom doesn't convey what is going on with our schools here. Now we're feeding it to our kids?...

[Anonymous]

I just can't imagine the suburban school districts tolerating this.

[Anonymous]

I've eaten horse meat multiple times and it's actually quite good. And expensive.

[Anonymous]

At least it's protein. McDonald's used to put sawdust in McNuggets.

More to the point, my kids hate the hot lunch so far, they say it is tasteless or gooey goop. Maybe horse meat will be an improvement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Horsemeat story:

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

Can't even. Beyond appalling. And these people are going to be feeding our children? I'm moving to VA next year and not letting the door hit me. Rock bottom doesn't convey what is going on with our schools here. Now we're feeding it to our kids?...

It's no difference for my family since my kids almost never eat the crap they currently serve.

I'm passed off because DCPS is feeding this crap to kids that don't have other options. Moving to VA won't help with that. Fighting the city council might.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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/

I haven't subscribed to the times in a while, but its a great little paper if you want more than one point of view on everything.

[Anonymous]

I thought Mary Chehs whole thing was healthy food and her healthy foods in schools legislation , and that's why kids cant fundraise in schools with bakesales etc. In that case, make the food that is available excellent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought Mary Chehs whole thing was healthy food and her healthy foods in schools legislation , and that's why kids cant fundraise in schools with bakesales etc. In that case, make the food that is available excellent.

Mary Cheh cannot singlehandedly "make the food that is available excellent." She came to this hearing (and the last one) despite not being on the committee. She HAMMERED Beers on all these issues. But she wasn't the person reviewing the contracts and soliciting bids. That was DCPS, who have independent procurement rights (subject to Council approval). Given that this contract negotiation and the previous one were similarly bad, it does not sound to me like DCPS can responsibly negotiate contracts on its own anymore.

[Anonymous]

So to summarize: there is zero evidence to support the histrionic claim that DC kids are eating horse meat.

Further, there is no data to back up one pps innuendo that horse meat contains meds (still in the tissue) that imperil humans.

So we are back to, essentially,'"ew." Everyone's "culturally" ok with chewing on a cow full of livestock meds but they're upset about eating Black Beauty. Cause she's pretty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So to summarize: there is zero evidence to support the histrionic claim that DC kids are eating horse meat.

Further, there is no data to back up one pps innuendo that horse meat contains meds (still in the tissue) that imperil humans.

So we are back to, essentially,'"ew." Everyone's "culturally" ok with chewing on a cow full of livestock meds but they're upset about eating Black Beauty. Cause she's pretty.

I'm more concerned about crappy food that my kids won't eat anyway. Horsemeat or chicken - I don't care. Let's start with palatable. Chartwells certainly can't do it and it sounds like Sodexo is a load of the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So to summarize: there is zero evidence to support the histrionic claim that DC kids are eating horse meat.

Further, there is no data to back up one pps innuendo that horse meat contains meds (still in the tissue) that imperil humans.

So we are back to, essentially,'"ew." Everyone's "culturally" ok with chewing on a cow full of livestock meds but they're upset about eating Black Beauty. Cause she's pretty.

I wouldn't care if they served horse meat if it was right on the menu, "Tuesday: horse meat tacos with picante sauce." But I have a problem when the company claims to be serving hamburger and serves horse meat instead. The only way to find it was revealed that they served horse meat was through a DNA analysis. Will they try to save a buck and serve chicken nuggets enhanced with saw dust? Who knows, but that's not a good track record, and I don't want to have to depend on DNA testing to know exactly what's in my kid's lunch.

[Anonymous]

The contract in question relaxes nutritional standards - in particular related to the quality of meat. Under this contract, Sodexo is free to buy the cheapest meat (which will likely be treated with antibiotics and/or growth hormones). I was the one who mentioned the medication in horse meat, as a general commentary on the reason that the consumption of horse meat is controversial beyond the "ew" factor. Additionally, since this company is not currently feeding DCPS kids anything, the comments about what they may do in the future is what they have done in the past and what the contract as it stands will permit them to do in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So to summarize: there is zero evidence to support the histrionic claim that DC kids are eating horse meat.

Further, there is no data to back up one pps innuendo that horse meat contains meds (still in the tissue) that imperil humans.

So we are back to, essentially,'"ew." Everyone's "culturally" ok with chewing on a cow full of livestock meds but they're upset about eating Black Beauty. Cause she's pretty.

Go home, vegan. In our culture, as you know, we do not eat horse meat. Cultures sometimes are rational, sometimes not.

Other cultures eat dog, gorilla, and rarely, human. We don't eat those here, either. Are you going to argue about those, too?

[Anonymous]

This requires a creative, high profile boycott/long term protest. Think Boston Tea Party.

Use your PTAs to make lunches for kids who would otherwise eat school lunch. Photos on social media of heaps of food being thrown out, etc.

Work to influence Magic Johnson to do better. As a formerathlete I'm sure he would feed his kids better.