New school lunch rules aim to cut the fat by 1998
A student entering ninth grade this school year will graduate from high school eating standard school lunch fare, which has been found to provide as much as 38 percent of its calories from fat.
But under new rules for the Federal School Lunch Program, a student entering eighth grade this year will see some changes in his lunch diet before graduating from high school.
New rules intend for children who get school lunches to receive less fat, cholesterol and sodium and more fiber through fruits, vegetables and grains. The guidelines will take effect in time for the 1998-99 school year.
USDA Secretary Mike Espy said the time will give processors an opportunity to develop and market more nutritious foods.
Under the rules, schools will have to make sure that no more than 30 percent of lunch calories come from fat and no more than 10 percent from saturated fat.
Those targets can be met during a week rather than each day. Computer software with food information will help schools plan menus.
Under the new rules, children still might get some of their favorite foods, like a hamburger, but not everyday.
Rather than a side of fries with a burger, children might get carrot sticks. The fries might show up later in the week-with grilled chicken.
USDA will also encourage low-fat products, including turkey sausage. In addition, the department is buying low-fat pork and poultry products, such as ground turkey burgers.
The $4.9 billion-a-year program is causing companies to devise new products.
-- Downers Grove, Ill.-based Armour Swift-Eckrich has developed a fully cooked pork roast specifically for schools.
-- Irvine, Calif.-based Taco Bell, which already sells to 3,000 schools, wants to continue expanding into schools and has come up with five reformulated, lower-fat products to peddle to foodservice directors, including a chicken burrito, and a chicken and beef enchilada.
-- Some pork producers are looking at ways to make pork patties more nutritious by reducing fat and using breading that features corn bread or whole-wheat flour.
Glut of beef leads to coupons, lower prices
An excess of beef has led to a 20 percent decrease in cattle prices, which in turn has led to a price decrease in several of the nation's supermarkets.
The glut is also preventing overall food prices from rising as fast as originally forecasted.
A National Cattlemen's Association survey of 19 cities in June found that the average price of six beef cuts was $3.16 a pound, down 5 cents from a month earlier.
USDA figures indicate that beef production will increase by about 1 billion pounds in 1994.
The rule of thumb is that consumers will eventually reap about one-fourth of any drop in cattle prices. The prices are expected to recover somewhat during autumn.
And the beef industry is trying to help whittle supplies by offering coupons. Shoppers in Chicago, Milwaukee, Houston, Denver, St. Louis and San Francisco are receiving coupons for $1 off every 6 to 8 pounds of beef they purchase. The program began July 24.
As a result, some forecasters are suggesting that retail beef prices might drop 3 to 4 percent in 1994, the biggest decline in 10 years.
Some forecasters say food inflation will keep pace with general inflation instead of outpacing it. Beef has a significant impact on food inflation because it represents about 7 percent of the government's food index, although it takes several months for lower cattle prices to reach consumers.
Declining beef prices also are keeping a rein on food inflation by increasing competitive pressures on poultry and pork.
Vegetarian meals favorite in college dining halls
Students will soon be college-bound for another year of studying, thinking and learning. And when students head for the dining hall, what will they eat? It may not be meat.
On any given day, nearly 15 percent of the nation's college students select a vegetarian option, according to a survey of college foodservice directors.
"As the student population becomes [more] diverse, and as the dietary needs and concerns of young people develop and change, vegetarianism is a growing customer preference," said Joan Johnson, president of the National Association of College and University Food Services.
The survey of 200 foodservice directors, conducted by the association and the National Restaurant Association in December, found that nearly all institutions are able to satisfy vegetarian cravings.
About 97 percent have incorporated meatless options into their daily menu mix, while the remainder offer a separate meal plan or make other accommodations for their student customers who prefer not to eat meat. Eighty-nine percent offer vegetarian dishes at every meal period.
In addition, 86 percent of foodservice directors surveyed said that they plan to expand vegetarian menus in the next five years.
FSIS veteran joins AMI
Veterinarian Alice Johnson will use 11 years of experience in FSIS as director of regulatory affairs for AMI. She will assist processor in regulatory and technical issues.
At FSIS, she developed generic Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point models for five production processes, and researched what the role of inspections will be under HACCP.
Poultry processors face policy of zero tolerance
USDA is proposing rules designed to tighten poultry inspections, including a zero-tolerance policy for fecal matter.
The Poultry Enhancement Program will require that birds initially identified as contaminated with fecal matter or disease be reinspected, and that birds be sprayed with antibacterial rinses.
And any bird that gets through the rinses and still shows signs of fecal contamination has to be washed and inspected again.
USDA's plan, however, calls for fewer inspectors on the lines that move birds from slaughter, to plucking, to evisceration, rinsing and chilling, although the overall number of inspectors would remain the same.
The proposal calls for emphasizing on-line inspections and off-line activities, such as hygiene and sanitation.
National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals officials said the proposal would give companies too much authority to police themselves, would reduce the number of inspectors on high-speed lines from three to two, and would curb or end hands-on inspection.
Arby's plans for bigger share of fast-food pie
The new management at Arby's believes the fast-food chain's Old West theme is tired and consumers are unfamiliar with the company.
But Don Pierce, president of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Arby's, has a plan to make Arby's a top five fast-food company by the end of the 1990s. Its 1993 sales of $1.7 billion make Arby's the 12th largest in the world.
Pierce said Arby's must increase the number of restaurants, modernize current eateries and update menus.
A national advertising campaign, slated to begin this autumn, will help identify the roast beef sandwich chain to potential customers.
Senate blocks striker bill
It appears that the striker replacement bill has met its doom.
With help from a few Democrats, Republicans blocked action on legislation that would keep employers from permanently replacing striking workers.
Three Republicans voted with proponents of the Workplace Fairness Act, but six Democrats sided with those voting to block it, leading to the 53-47 outcome.
An added blow to any chance that the bill may reappear is that one of its principal sponsors, Sen. Howard M Metzenbaum (D-Ohio), is retiring from Congress after this legislative session.
The House passed its version of the bill earlier this year and President Clinton vowed to sign it into law.
Most businesses and industries, including the meat industry, oppose striker replacement legislation.
Burger King responds to hearing-impaired]
Miami-based Burger King Corp. will develop and test an electronic ordering device and institute written order forms so it can better serve hearing-impaired customers.
The move is in response to a lawsuit filed by Terrylene Sacchetti, a hearing-impaired actress from Santa Monica, Calif., who alleged she was refused service at a Burger King drive-thru window last December.
Burger King spokesman Michael Evans said there was "confusion" with Sacchetti's order but she was not refused.
The electronic testing devices are being developed in-house and will be in 10 Burger King outlets by next March. Written order forms will be tested in 100 restaurants.
In addition, Burger King employees will be better trained to deal with people who are disabled, according to Evans. "Employees are being taught to be more patient," he added.
As part of the settlement, Sacchetti will star in two Burger King television commercials, although it is not known whether she will star as a hearing-impaired person, Evans said.
Sacchetti told the Los Angeles Daily News: "I'm very happy and surprised. I didn't expect the kind of response that Burger King has shown to work things out."