Petersburg is partnering with a food service company to improve school lunches
On Thursday, Petersburg City Public Schools announced a new partnership with a food service company Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management as part of their efforts to help improve nutrition programs in local schools.
“Petersburg City Public Schools is pleased to partner with Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management to support and improve our school nutrition program,” said a statement from the school administration. “Taher chefs collaborate with our nutrition staff on training and support in food preparation and delivery.”
The effort to improve school lunches began after a photo of a student’s lunch went viral in August, prompting social media to criticize the food. offered in Petersburg public schools.
Superintendent Yolonda Brown, who had just been appointed to her position on an interim basis when the photos went viral, ordered a review of the division’s nutrition system due to backlash and promised improvements. .
Thursday’s announcement, posted on the Petersburg City Public Schools Facebook page, included three photos of recent lunches at local schools that received immediate and widespread media praise. Social media appears to be more interesting than the school lunches that first sparked a social media outcry in August. .
What we know about Taher
Founded in 1981, Taher is a family-owned and operated food service management company serving schools, businesses, health care providers, assisted living facilities and similar institutions. The company is one of the largest food service management firms in the United States, focused on providing unique, quality food and nutrition services to customers.
According to a statement on the company’s website, Taher’s food is made from scratch with fresh, quality ingredients. To do so, Taher partners with local farmers and growers “committed to sustainable practices and humane conditions,” according to the company.
Taher also works with licensed dietitians who “stay abreast of the advancements in nutritional science,” according to the company’s website, and is working removing all the fat from its menus and adding more whole grains.
In school settings, Taher often offers educational programs to students, including cooking and nutrition classes to promote healthy eating habits and spark interest in new foods and dishes around the world.
Room for improvement
In addition to improving food quality, the school system is committed to improving food service throughout Petersburg schools after an inspection by the Virginia Department of Education in September revealed several critical areas. for the improvement of school food services throughout the city.
Specifically, the inspection found several deficiencies in kitchens and cafeterias at Walnut Hill Elementary, Vernon Johns Middle School, Petersburg High School, and Blandford 6.th School School. These included deficiencies requiring serious, immediate action such as broken or malfunctioning dishwashers, ovens, walk-in coolers/refrigerators, air conditioning systems and other.
“The review identified several key areas for improvement in our food service operations, and we are currently developing detailed plans to address these needs,” the Board chairman of the School Kenneth Pritchett wrote in a letter on Sept. 18 to Mayor Sam Parham. “The School Division’s plan will focus on short-term repairs and long-term improvements to ensure our dining facilities remain reliable and able to meet the needs of students and staff.”
The letter requested that $1.5 million in unused city funds be set aside to meet these critical infrastructure needs.
“Many of our dining areas require significant, financial and operational investment, including the repair and renewal of old equipment and systems that are critical to the day-to-day service operations, ” it said.
In addition to the $1.5 million requested by the School Board, the school district has committed to contribute $2 million to the district’s Food Service Fund to help complete these improvements.
“The combined funding will help us address pressing financial needs, such as the replacement of major kitchen equipment and improvements to service systems, as well as support ongoing operational needs, including infrastructure improvements and service efficiency improvements,” Pritchett added in the letter.
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