Aramark employees at Philly sports stadiums go on strike and more news you may have missed

Check out some foodservice news you may have missed this week, including a new federal bill that aims to prevent toxic ingredients in school meals, a new fry robot at Auburn University and more.  

Aramark employees represented by UNITE HERE Local 274 have gone on strike at the Sports Complex earlier this week asking for higher pay and better benefits. 

Over a thousand workers showed up to the picket line Monday in front of Citizens Bank Park, the Wells Fargo Center and Lincoln Financial Field where Aramark oversees the concessions. 

Read the full story via NBC Philadelphia. 

Senator Cory Booker has introduced the Safe School Meals Act which would ban certain chemicals such as the pesticide glyphosate and set limits for heavy metals in school meals.

The bill is similar to one that recently passed the California legislature which would ban six food dyes from being used in school meals. The bill now awaits Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature, and he has until the end of the month to sign it into law. 

Read the full story via FoodService Director. 

The dining team at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama has installed a robot at its new Foy of the Fly eatery on campus. Named Cam the Frybot by students, the robot is able to fry tenders, baskets of fries and cheese sticks. Human employees are still present at the eatery but can spend their time on tasks that require human skill like customizing orders. 

Read the full story via Alabama News Center. 

New York City Public Schools’ Plant Powered Fridays initiative has lowered the districts emissions, according to a report by the Humane Society of the United States. Plant Powered Fridays began at the district in 2022. Through the program, the nutrition team  serves a plant-based main entree to students every Friday. 

According to the report which will be published by next month, the program has led to a 42% reduction in overall emissions per student.

Read the full story via The Humane Society of the United States. 

And NYC Public Schools is not the only onsite operation making sustainability strides. Texas-based foodservice provider Guckenheimer has cut its food waste by 64% from its Q2 2022 baseline data. The foodservice provider originally set a goal in 2022 of cutting its waste by 50% by 2025. It credits AI technology that allowed the company to track its food waste as a big reason it surpassed its goal. 

Read the full story via ISS Guckenheimer.