Supply chain shortages are impacting the global market, here’s why
Supply chain bottlenecks are creating shortages and price inflation around the world. Biden released a plan that could help ease the jam at LA ports.
Just The FAQs, USA TODAY
PROVIDENCE – You may not be able to get fries with your chicken tenders in the school cafeteria this year because food suppliers are struggling with the same kinds of supply chain challenges as manufacturers.
But don’t expect the cost of a school lunch to rise suddenly, because the federal government is softening the impact of inflation by providing support to food service companies.
Sodexo, the largest school meals supplier in Rhode Island, said it’s more an issue of delivering on the specific lunches that schools plan for every day.
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How are supply chain issues affecting school lunches?
“There isn’t as much variety,” said Michael Grey, Sodexo’s regional vice president. “There might be substitutions. Everyone might like pizza on Friday. But then the pizza we ordered doesn’t show up and we have to make a substitution like chef’s salad.”
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The problem is families have their school lunch menu on their refrigerator (or their laptop) and they plan their at-home meals accordingly. When pizza or chicken tenders are replaced with something else, it can shake up carefully planned dinners with the family.
“We find ways to communicate that in advance,” Grey said. “People have been wonderful.”
Last-minute surprises have been happening less often.
“We know how important it is to deliver on what we promised,” he said. “When a truck shows up and half of the order isn’t there, we have to make quick changes. We have some other items we ordered in advance.”
The supply chain itself is unpredictable. Some weeks, hand soap will be in short supply. Other weeks, it will be French fries or fabric softener.
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Sodexo likes to buy local produce when it’s available, but if farmers can’t pick it because of labor shortages or a prolonged drought, the company has to pivot.
Chartwells, which distributes meals to roughly two dozen school districts in Rhode Island, said, “Together with our school district partners across the state, we are committed to providing nutritious and delicious meals to students. Amidst ongoing national supply chain challenges, kids and families can continue to count on us for great-tasting meals kids love to eat every day, but there may be some menu changes based on product substitutions from our suppliers.”
How are labor shortages affecting school lunches?
On the upside, the food service labor shortages that bedeviled schools during the height of the pandemic are no longer as dire.
“Last year was terrible,” Grey said. “We had three times the number of openings. It was at the height of the Delta wave. We had just come off of a remote year and nobody knew what to expect. Some people made a decision to leave the workforce.”
Still, Sodexo, which serves 45,000 students in Rhode Island, doesn’t have the same pipeline as it did before COVID-19.
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The company is offering enhancements, from signing and referral bonuses to ceremonies that recognize individual achievement.
“We try to make sure our employees are resourced properly,” Grey said. “We are giving them the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process.”
Marc Roy, Chartwells’ district manager, said, “While there are some open roles in a few of our districts… students and families can rest assured that we’re carefully monitoring the student dining experience at each school and providing additional support to campuses that may be in need.”
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Although schools are just starting to open, school districts have reported very few major staffing problems so far.
“Everyone is better off but they’re still on edge,” he said. “Some are worried but not panicked.”
Linda Borg covers education for The Journal.
