Food Services

Did you know that students who are well nourished are shown to have increased problem-solving abilities, better memory, stronger verbal fluency and more creativity?

That is a key reason why the City School District of Albany makes every effort to provide students with nutritious and tasty meals during the hours they are in school. This includes breakfast in the morning, lunch in the afternoon and, in some schools, an after-school snack serving during extended-day programs.

Whitsons Culinary Group, the City School District of Albany's food-service provider, provides a complete listing of nutritional information and allergen information for all the items on our school menus.

Learn more from Whitson's Nutri-Cafe.

Because many of our families struggle economically, the City School District of Albany participates in a federal program that allows each of students to receive breakfast and lunch for free each day.

Learn more here.

Did you know that students who are well nourished are shown to have increased problem-solving abilities, better memory, stronger verbal fluency and more creativity?

That is a key reason why the City School District of Albany makes every effort to provide students with nutritious and tasty meals during the hours they are in school. This includes breakfast in the morning, lunch in the afternoon and, in some schools, an after-school snack serving during extended-day programs.

Whitsons Culinary Group, the City School District of Albany's food-service provider, provides a complete listing of nutritional information and allergen information for all the items on our school menus.

Learn more from Whitson's Nutri-Cafe.

Food allergies can be life-threatening. To minimize the chance of accidental exposure to a food that may trigger an allergic reaction, the district's new food-service provider posts "right to know" information in every school cafeteria. The information -- kept in a binder -- lists ingredients in school food that are common causes of food allergies. They include:

• Milk and milk products
• Egg and egg products
• Peanut and peanut products
• Tree nut and tree nut products
• Soy and soy products
• Fish and fish products
• Shellfish and shellfish products

The binder does not list manufacturers who also may process allergens (like peanuts) in other products they produce. However, Whitson's requires its manufacturers to have practices in place that minimize the possibility accidental contamination from other products during the manufacturing process.

Any student with a severe food allergy should NOT assume that a food is safe to eat and should always ask before eating cafeteria food. That student's parent or guardian should contact the food-service manager to discuss dietary needs and restrictions. Product specifications are subject to change and manufacturers are not required by law to provide updated ingredient declarations to Whitson's.

Food Services serves turkey-based cold cuts. The bologna, ham and salami are made from turkey; no pork products are added. Hot dogs are 100 percent beef. When pork is served we will offer a turkey equivalent as an alternate. When we serve real ham or hots with pork it will be reflected as such on the menu.

All hamburger and hot dog buns also are 100 percent whole grain.

Nondiscrimination Statement:  This explains what to do if you believe you have been treated unfairly.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. Mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
    
2. Fax:
   (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
    
3. Email:
   program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.