Have you seen the new television series Jamie Oliver’s Food Nation? This is but one case in point that illustrates how school nutrition programs are under attack as national media has distorted facts about healthy school meals. In a letter to the school foodservice community, School Nutrition Association President Dora Rivas writes, “School Nutrition Association recognizes how damaging these news stories are to the credibility of your programs and the morale of all school nutrition professionals who work so hard to provide nutritious meals to children every day.” We fully support and applaud the SNA’s efforts and outreach to the School Nutrition Community. E S Foods President, Gary Davis, responded with the letter below:
March 29, 2010
Dear Ms. Rivas,
We here at E S Foods (formerly East Side Entrees) applaud your efforts and outreach to the School Nutrition Community. As a manufacturer of products that are served in schools throughout the country, we are cognizant of the nutrition challenges affecting our nation’s children.
As foodservice professionals you face a daunting task – providing children nutritious, well balanced meals that meet USDA requirements and fall within a limited budget. As a partner, we respect your responsibilities and applaud your professionalism.
We all know that school foodservice is often the scapegoat for larger social issues. In many instances school foodservice is negatively stereotyped. Everyday we meet with foodservice professionals and we know your concern for fat, sugar, sodium content and above all nutritionally balanced kid friendly affordable meals
Our primary focus in conjunction with the “got breakfast ?” foundation is helping schools to reach the 22 million children eligible for free or reduced priced meals, most of whom live in food insecure households. For many of these kids the only real meal they receive each day is at school.
The USDA has many programs that can effectively and efficiently reach these children with nutritious, well balanced meals. These include breakfast (classroom and alternate site), after school meals, supper programs, summer feeding. E S Foods is committed to “nourishing our future” by nourishing our children. We have and will continue to invest in programs that assist schools in reaching and feeding more children.
We are proud to partner our efforts with the members of SNA and the USDA. We believe that in this great country every effort must be made to properly and efficiently feed every eligible child and particularly those in most need.
Very Truly Yours,
Gary A. Davis