Processing Group Helps UC School Districts Nutritional Programs

A group of Upper Cumberland school systems is working together to make sure their nutritional programs get the most bang for their buck.

The Upper Cumberland Processing Group brings together 11 Upper Cumberland school districts for contracts in the school nutrition arena. Jennifer Mitchell is the Nutrition Program Supervisor at Putnam County Schools.

“We come together as a group and bid on the processing of some of those entitlement dollars that we receive from the state,” Mitchell said. “And so usually as a group we can get better prices.”

Mitchell said that entitlement dollars are funds from the state that allows school districts to purchase what are known as “brown box foods”. She said that includes items like generic fruits, vegetables, and raw pounds of proteins such as chicken, beef and cheese.

Mitchell said that some processors have minimum pound requirements, so 11 school districts coming together can help meet that requirement.

“You’re given an opportunity to process raw pounds of proteins like chicken, beef, and cheese,” Mitchell said.  “Those pounds can be sent to a processor, say like Tyson or Pilgrim’s Pride, and they take those raw pounds of say chicken or beef, and they turn them into hamburger patties or chicken nuggets or chicken tenders, things like that.”

Mitchell said that each district is responsible for its own program.