New USDA School Food Program Guidelines Spell Challenges and Opportunities, Says Technomic

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Apr 28, 2011, 11:15 ET

CHICAGO, April 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As the USDA moves closer to finalizing new nutrition standards for the nation's school lunch and breakfast programs, food directors at roughly 135,000 public and private schools serving more than 56 million students are anticipating what the changes will be, and how to address them.

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"It is widely expected that the bar will be raised, in terms of reducing hot-button areas like fat, sodium, sugar, allergens and additives, and increasingly more stringent guidelines on foods with solid nutritional value," says Joe Pawlak, Vice President at Technomic, a Chicago-based foodservice consultancy. "Food directors may need to make substantial changes to their programs—and their suppliers better be ready with solutions."

To help food manufacturers meet these challenges and identify new opportunities, Pawlak is directing a comprehensive study of the K-12 foodservice segment. In addition to examining the impact of potential nutrition requirements, other areas under review include:

Expanded dayparts: Solutions for schools that are providing more than lunch, with even some feeding occurring in classrooms.

Changing demographics: The impact of population shifts on ethnic menu preferences.

Student and parent preferences: Evolving trends and demands for local, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly foods and the impact on manufacturer brands.

Allergens: Strategies for addressing peanut and other food allergies.

Commodity processing: Ways that suppliers can help schools manage their allocation of bulk purchases.

Technomic's comprehensive and multi-faceted research approach will provide detailed market segmentation and evaluation of opportunities by sponsors' product categories. Sponsors will receive specific implications and recommendations, based on various potential scenarios. To learn more about this study, please contact Alan Hyatt, Vice President, at 312-506-3946 or [email protected].

About Technomic

Technomic provides clients with the facts, insights and consulting support they need to enhance their business strategies, decisions and results. Its services include numerous publications and digital products, as well as proprietary studies and ongoing research on all aspects of the food industry.

Press Contact: Chris Urban, 312-506-3929

SOURCE Technomic, Inc.