June 13, 2012

Onsite Foodservice News Market Reports Food Quiz Discussion Subscription Information

	Cafeteria workers sue to eat expired food
	Farm to School program finding success
	Sodexo Has A Beef With Food Certification Programs
	Sodexo considers leaving Gaithersburg
	Missoula schools encourage healthier meals with kale chips
	Hospital food goes gourmet
	Portland schools eliminate styrofoam use after saving $50,000 in new recycling initiative
	Students Square Off to Be 'Top Chef' of Cafeteria
	School Districts Just Say No to LFTB
	Schools turning their nose up at 'pink slime', opting for beef without the filler
	School lunch aide again saves a student's life performing Heimlich maneuver

Welcome New Members from Onsite Foodservice!
	Mark Horban, Grants Pass, OR Joined on: Jun 13, 2012 Occupation: Other

	Maria Lawton, Richmond Hill, NY Joined on: Jun 12, 2012 Occupation: Chef

	Raeliz De Los Santos, Bronx, NY Joined on: Jun 12, 2012 Occupation: Manager - Assistant

	Mary Foss, Austin, TX Joined on: Jun 11, 2012 Occupation: Baker

	Velt Watkins, Portland, OR Joined on: Jun 10, 2012 Occupation: Manager

	John Russo, Miami, FL Joined on: Jun 9, 2012 Occupation: Director - Purchasing

	Reba Andrews, Chicago, IL Joined on: Jun 7, 2012 Occupation: Cook

	Jared Becker, Joined on: Jun 6, 2012 Occupation: Marketing

	Joe Devito, Joined on: Jun 6, 2012 Occupation: Manager

	Doug Cowgill, Columbia, Joined on: Jun 12, 2012 Occupation: Sales

View updated pricing and information each week on the website for the following food-commodity markets:

Pork Commentary	View Detail
Price levels for retail cuts were mixed as there was no clear cut direction due to an array of packer supplies and buyer demand. As harvest rates scaled back slightly this week sellers had less product on inventory which lead to firmer prices for processing cuts. This caused bone-in hams and seedless bellies to advance on just a few trades while interest was no better than light to moderate. Pork trim saw price levels firm early in the session then stabilize, however a two-tiered market prevailed for the remainder of the week as some sellers had better position.
Beef Commentary	View Detail
Boxed beef cutout values were steady on Choice and lower on Select, with moderate demand and moderate to heavy offerings. As anticipated, middle meats appreciated this session, in preparation for next month’s holiday, as well as brisk clearance in the meat case over Memorial Day and continued excellent grilling weather. Most advancement was seen in the Choice rib cuts, however loin items followed closely behind. Conversely, Select and Choice chuck and round complexes depreciated this trading period. Beef trimmings trended lower throughout the week on light to moderate demand and moderate offerings. Fed and blended cattle grinds continued to decline over the course of the week. Forward negotiated sale activity was moderate with notable trades of Choice chuck rolls, priced below current spot market levels.
Produce Commentary	View Detail
Strawberries - The growing area have seen some rain which has caused quality issues with the fruit, receivers are seeing some white shoulders. Markets are Steady though. Cantaloupes/Honeydews – We are very limited on Mexican fruit due to there are very few Cantaloupes crossing. The Arizona weather is warmer which is limiting the harvest of fruit; the demand exceeds supplies. The Imperial Valley’s cooler weather impacted the lopes causing limited production. All fruit is mostly 6-9ct sizes. Honeydew’s out of Mexican is a different story, product continues to cross over into Nogales- the supply and quality are good. The Imperial Valley and Arizona have good quality & availability of honeydews. Asparagus- Very low volume due to the cold weather in Peru overall but on the larger sizes Europe is offering higher prices so the growers in Peru are opting to keep the product in Peru instead of exporting. Demand exceeds supplies, with Jumbo almost impossible to source. Tomatoes- As many growing regions on the East coast are winding down we should see Tennessee and Virginia picking up that volume. For those on the West, we are beginning to pull some Mexico as Florida is finishing up. We are seeing some increases in markets during the transitions. Pineapples- Due to the natural growth cycle the growers have to harvest earlier than expected causing some issues in its coloring, however the quality of the fruit is still very good. Grapes- The red grapes are in Nogales are lower than the Coachella market which is asking for a premium on both the Green & Red. Nogales will continue to lower their price on red; on green grapes they are limited out of Nogales. Even though schools are out for the summer, the demand continues on grapes. We should plan that product will be tight for another 4 weeks. The National Diesel Average has been recorded at $3.846 this week Produce reports brought to you by NPC Inc.
Dairy Commentary	View Detail
The cheese market price gyrations are creating more uncertainty. The trade is digesting the latest news on production trends of various cheese varieties, domestic pricing changes, and international news. Cheese production is steady to trending lower and is along expected, seasonal levels. Cheddar cheese inventory levels are adequate to higher and available for trade needs. Mozzarella holdings are often above the slowing, seasonal demand. Discounted milk offerings in the Midwest are very limited. The AA cash butter price at the CME remains firm. The cash price firmed early in the week, eased slightly at midweek and finished the week firm at $1.4175. Churning schedules across the country remain seasonally active. Cream supplies are sufficient to maintain near capacity or capacity schedules, but the surplus volumes of recent weeks have declined. In the East, milk truckload weights are reported to be declining, leading to a tightening of the milk supplies in the region. Hotter temperatures are leading to milk output declines in Florida and fewer milk loads are leaving the state to find processing homes. In the Midwest, milk production patterns are sporadic with some areas seeing an increase in output following better weather conditions, yet other areas are seeing milk declines and lower component tests.
Poultry Commentary	View Detail
Prices for whole broiler/fryers are about steady to steady overall. Preliminary majority prices in the Midwest and West are unchanged when compared to early week prices. Offerings cover the full range but are noted as mostly moderate. Retail and food service demand is light to moderate with trading usually limited to regular commitments. Floor stocks are closely balanced with many buyers purchasing hand to mouth unless enticed by discounted product. Trucking availability continues to be problematic for many. Market activity is mostly slow. In the parts structure, movement is light to moderate for late week business. Prices are trending weak to lower for bone-in breast and tenders, steady to weak for b/s breast and most dark meat items. Wings are steady and moving well. Offerings of tenders and breast items are readily available and competitively priced. Dark meat items are moderate to heavy and wings are moderate. Market activity is mostly slow to moderate. In production areas, live supplies are moderate at mixed, but mostly desirable weights.

Close lunches, open 7 dinners

Community member sushiman writes...

It gets to the point that I want to close lunches and open 7 dinners. I have been working with family members in a casual restaurant for 2.5 years. It has a full bar, a sushi bar plus some forms of small appetizers. Lunch has been really slow since the beginning. The lunch menu is consisted of Japanese dishes and sushi menu only. At nights, it is sushi and small appetizers. I thought the longer I hold on, it will eventually pick up. That is not the case for lunch. However, the good news is that...

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Take Out Theme

Community member BBQCanuk writes...

After two years of financial planning, I have purchased a small take out restaurant down the road from me. My concept is BBQ and will be smoking ribs, pulled pork, chicken etc. I live in Nova Scotia on the Annapolis Basin and the Bay of Fundy is around the corner.
I am not competing with the local fish and chip places so do not want the lighthouse, seagull theme as there is enough of those out here. The name is Desi’s Bar-B-Q (after my granddaughter). Now I thought this would be the...

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"Green" takeout/takeaway/to-go containers

Community member 240Brick writes...

I don't know if i'm in the right forum for this (with my luck, probably not), but I'll fire away anyhow:

I work for a CSA in Pennsylvania, and we have recently installed a Community Shared Kitchen. The kitchen will feature prepared, fresh foods (everything from lunch to dinner to desserts to jams, jellies and pickles), and we'll use nothing but locally produced, organic veggies/fruits, meats, and fish.

Things have been coming together well, HOWEVER...one...

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