HEALTHY FOOD PROCUREMENT IN BROOME COUNTY. Mary McFadden, Supervising Public Health Educator Broome County Health Department

Transcription

1 HEALTHY FOOD PROCUREMENT IN BROOME COUNTY Mary McFadden, Supervising Public Health Educator Broome County Health Department

2 Broome County Snapshot Snapshot of Broome County Population 198,000 Mean household income $45, % individuals living below poverty level 25 % children living below poverty level 91% White 5.2 % African American Adult Obesity 63.7% Youth Obesity 32.3% 18.3% individuals age 5 and over, living with a disability Significant racial and health disparities High premature death rates from all cardiovascular diseases Sources: :Broome County CHA

3 Changing the Food Environment Sectors: Schools Government Municipality Community Based Organizations Lead Partners: BC Executive, Central Foods New York State Department of Health Comprehensive Cancer Prevention Pilot Grant Adoption of nutrition standards for Broome County Municipality, and community based organizations Rural Health Network Food and Health Network

4 Key Partners County Executive Public Health Director Office for Aging Director Central Foods Director School Food Service Administration Community Organization Directors Community Organization Boards Food Vendors Food and Health Network Hospital Food Service Reps College Food Service Reps Reps of agencies serving persons with disabilities

5 Food Procurement Policy/Nutrition Standards Food procurement applies to foods purchased, served or distributed. Nutrition standards help ensure that foods and beverages served by agencies contribute to a diet consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), Uses existing food dollars to create a more nutritious food environment. Put your money where your mouth is.

6 Sodium Reduction Strategies STEALTH HEALTH APPROACH Gain buy in from key decision makers Utilize Broome County school food service partners as a reference Product substitution Recipe modification no additional salt added Using more fresh and no salt added canned vegetables Scratch cooking Work directly with vendors to identify and procure lower sodium items through municipal bid process

7 Senior Taste Testing

8 Vendor Food Shows

9 Senior Meals: Sample Menu with Reduced Sodium Items

10 Food Procurement Policy Initiation Assess the food environment to determine where food is purchased, distributed, served. Survey key people in the local food environment. Consider the dynamics of the environment and how to overcome any barriers to policy implementation. Identify a champion Issue an RFP

11 Broome County Grantees Implementing Food Procurement Standards Broome County Central Foods - Serves approximately 1.8 million meals annually at Willow Point Nursing Home, Senior Centers, to Meals on Wheels recipients, children s centers, and at the Broome County Jail. Meals on Wheels of Western Broome (MOWWB) - Private notfor-profit organization that provides home delivered meals service, Monday through Friday, to homebound elderly and adults living with disabilities. MOWWB serves a total of 400 people each year. YMCA of Broome County - Provides meals and snacks to 215 youth through their childcare programs.

12 Food Procurement Media Coverage

13 Food Procurement: Broome County Central Foods /broome-county-cooks-up-recipe-forhealthier-community/

14 Challenges Broome County Central Foods & YMCA Healthier alternatives difficult to find When healthier alternatives were found, they were more expensive Meals on Wheels of Western Broome Integrating the DGA with the special dietary requests from clients. Recipes were not written making it difficult to consistently produce a product that meets the DGA

15 Overcoming Challenges Meals on Wheels of Western Broome Previous individually prepared meals, will now ensure a better balance of nutrients using DGA and specific therapeutic guidelines from specific organizations Free lance method of cooking to written recipes

16 Broome County Central Foods BCCF using phased in approach for products that meet the new standards over several grocery bid periods Implement request for healthier products into 1/3 of their grocery bid at a time. YMCA Phasing in Nutrition Standards Phase in products as they become available from their vendors. Purchases from grocery stores will be made in compliance with standards.

17 2014 Food Procurement Policies Broome County Council of Churches Mobile CHOW Food Bus (Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse) All Saints Catholic Elementary School

18 Successful Implementation Strategies Education Assessment Engagement Assisting with Policy Process Communication/Earned Media Plans

19 Education

20 Assessment Conduct Community Food Procurement Assessment Work with key partners to develop survey tool and direct it to key respondents Issue to large food procurement entities Follow up Obtain results Use results to inform internal next steps Hold meeting of respondents to provide forum for discussion of results

21 Engagement Priority population participation Seed money and RFP process to identify willing organizations Use of local champions Recognition events

22 Policy Adoption Process Assisting municipality or community based organization(cbo) in development of policy Assisting municipality or CBO with education of leadership or engagement of priority population Phased in approached over time

23 Food Procurement Communication/Earned Media Plan Description of Activity/Topic Types of Media: (Letter to Editor, PSA, GVP News Release, Press Event, Social Media) Month Responsible Partner Results

24 Challenges Knowledge level of food procurement Educating Vendors Availability of products Cost Acceptability of products

25 Achieving Sustainability Organizational routines Organizational memory Flexibility & adaptability Values and rules Institutionalized standards Standardize Processes Product Bids Menus Processes specific to sustainability Centralized resources for purchasing, planning, analyzing Keys to Success Commitment to larger goal of providing nutritious food items of higher quality Solicit support from all levels and engage key stakeholders from schools, community based organizations, government municipalities, ect. Capitalize on existing programs and use a phased in approach

26 More Sustainability Track Progress Provide technical support & assistance Inform and disseminate success stories

27 Lessons Learned Engage leadership early Establish relationships with other community nutrition experts and food procurement partners Conduct a community assessment with entities that procure large quantities of food Engage priority populations in process Conduct gradual implementation of standards Use of RFP process to engage organizations Work with vendors to build demand to Food Industry Obtain nutrition analysis software

28 FAR AND AWAY THE BEST PRIZE THAT LIFE HAS TO OFFER IS THE CHANCE TO WORK HARD AT WORK WORTH DOING. -THEODORE ROOSEVELT

29 Contact Information Mary McFadden Supervising Public Health Educator Broome County Health Department 225 Front St. Binghamton, NY Phone: ( 607) Fax: ( 607) mmcfadden@co.broome.ny.us Website: