SPRINGDALE, Ark. (October 8, 2008)—Tyson K12 allows school foodservice 
directors the opportunity to turn commodities into products that excite kids about lunch in the cafeteria. With indirect sales discounts from Tyson Food Service and the online inventory management system at k12foodservice.com—a K12 Services, Inc. Web site—directors can now make a huge impact on the bottom line of their school foodservice program.
When commodity chicken or beef is diverted to Tyson Food Service, it is stored and converted to products of choice, such as popular Whole Grain Breaded Chunks; new premium Charbroiled Beef Burgers; fully cooked Shaved Steak® beef; or Skillet-Style Ground Beef made with pure ground beef.
“We strive to provide innovative products and resources that empower school foodservice directors to serve the best meal programs for their students,” said Johnny Hughes, senior director of government sales at Tyson Foods, Inc. “Center-of-the-plate proteins tend to be the most expensive menu items. By offering directors the opportunity to divert their chicken and beef commodities to Tyson Food Service, we’re helping directors take better advantage of their commodity entitlements so they can offer products that may otherwise be too costly to menu.”
Tyson Food Service partners with K12 Services, Inc. to bring school foodservice directors a proven resource-optimizing tool that enables schools to get the most out of their commodities. The internet-based reporting system allows schools to operate with ease by keeping track of allocations throughout the school year. Directors are able to track how many pounds to process, number of pounds to use and dollars saved. They can also access a monthly utilization summary designed to help them make good decisions about what to divert to add reliability to menu patterns.
Diverting commodities to Tyson Food Service is convenient and economical. The just-in-time delivery system takes out unnecessary costs such as handling fees, plus decreases storage costs, saving schools, companies and the government money. Indirect sales discounts may also save up to $10 per case.
Tyson Food Service knows that nutrition, building participation and controlling costs are key in school foodservice. With Tyson® products available at the K12 Services, Inc. Web site, Tyson Food Service is helping directors make the best of their school lunch program.
“School foodservice directors can feel confident serving our Kid Tested, Kid Approved® products made with diverted commodities,” said Hughes. “Tyson Food Service taste tests new products with students to get their feedback, which allows our customers to menu these items with confidence while increasing average daily participation with these proven kid-endorsed products.”
To divert your commodities to Tyson Food Service, contact your Tyson Foods sales representative, go to www.TysonK12.com or call 1-800-24-TYSON, and to gain free access to the K12 Services, Inc. site, go to www.K12foodservice.com or call (301) 251-5515. .
Tyson Foods, Inc., founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world’s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves. Tyson provides products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The company has approximately 104,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.