New Guidelines Considered for School Foodservice Shows
The school foodservice show season is about to kick into high gear. Many district programs have tightened up their guidelines and are limiting their shows to a specific number of items to be presented.
Here are a few of the guidelines I recently became aware of:
· Complete product specs – ingredient statement, nutrition, allergens, prep instructions, CN label (if applicable)
· Emphasis on Nutrition requirements; student acceptance; preparation; and cost
· Products must have proven success rate
· Brokers limited to 12 products
· Facilitators will choose only 40 items total for the show in specific areas such as items containing 2 whole grain-rich and 2 meat components not to exceed $1.00; breakfast items containing 2 whole grain-rich components not to exceed $.50; and fruit or vegetable items that meet ½ cup serving, not to exceed $.40
· Items should also contain NO trans fats, MSG, Bi-sulfites, nuts or produced in a plant containing nuts; no glass or aluminum cans; and no items that require frying
In many ways I like that school districts have gotten specific about their needs and can provide such focused guidelines for participation in their shows. However, in some ways they can be quite limiting and may not allow for new and innovative ideas to be presented and considered.
In this particular show’s guidelines they are only going to consider 40 items in total. How can they be sure they are not missing a new and innovative product that could prove to be well received by students and profitable to the foodservice department?
What do you think about these types of guidelines and do you have similar guidelines in place? What are you seeing as far as show guidelines in your area? Share your thoughts by posting a comment below and keep the discussion going.
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