Late, skimpy, unsafe: St. Petersburg fires kids’ summer food vendor

ST. PETERSBURG — After hearing reports of late meal deliveries arriving at lukewarm temperatures, City Council member Gina Driscoll said she wanted to “call the culprit” by name.

“Canteen Refreshment Services, shame on you,” she said at a meeting Thursday. “Never again do I want to see us doing business with that organization.”

Mayor Ken Welch used emergency procurement provisions this month to secure a new vendor to supply summer meals for children. He took that action after its former vendor, Canteen Refreshment Services, also known as Compass Group USA, was found to have “several deficiencies related to food safety (storage and temperature), late meal deliveries, missing meal components” among other deficiencies dating to last summer, according to a city memo.

St. Petersburg operates the Summer Food Service Program, a federally funded and state-administered program to supply free meals and snacks to children and teens in low-income areas. The city sponsors 17 summer food locations throughout St. Petersburg, serving both breakfast and lunch, averaging 2,600 meals a day.

After being given a second chance this summer, Canteen delivered meals above safe serving temperatures and did not make any delivery at one site on the first day of the program May 30. City Community Enrichment Administrator Mike Jefferis said his staff had to order pizza to feed kids.

The city contacted Pinellas County Schools about the issue June 1 and it began providing meals Monday. The program is meant as a bridge for children who get free or reduced-price lunch during the school year.

“Our district recognized the urgency of the situation; our staff was ready to step up and fill this critical gap,” said school district spokesperson Isabel Mascareñas. “We understand the importance of providing children nutritious meals to ensure they thrive and succeed academically and personally.”

According to the memo written by Healthy St. Pete Coordinator Kim Lehto to Jefferis, the city contacted Canteen’s southeast division vice president of operations about the deficiencies last summer. Canteen then rectified issues relating to food safety and food quality, the city said, but issues related to documentation, billing and deliveries continued after the program ended Aug. 5, 2022.

Lehto’s memo said the city has struggled over the past three years because of market conditions and a “serious lack” of qualified bidders able to meet the summer food program’s needs and federal requirements. The city then met twice with Canteen to discuss food quality and safety as well as larger meal portions.

Lehto said Canteen provided a plan to address and improve each area of concern and acquired three refrigerated trucks with one additional refrigerated truck for high assurance of food safety, temperature control and delivery.

On May 10, the city executed a one-year renewal with Canteen, from May 30 to Aug. 4, for $345,000.

“On the first day of service three sites rejected meals for being above safe serving temperatures, nine sites were required to seek out and serve alternate emergency meals due to no meal delivery and the inability to effectively reach Canteen to determine delivery status, one site failed to receive lunch delivery at all,” Lehto wrote.

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She said some meals arrived 2½ hours past service times. Three locations were missing breakfast for next-day service, which was a violation of the agreement. The memo said Canteen said it would return the same day and bring the missing meals but one location never received breakfast and another location rejected meals for being over safe serving temperatures.

Lehto said sites reported delivery drivers using their personal vehicles to deliver meals and not adequately transporting meals to preserve safe serving temperatures. Problems persisted on the second day of meal service.

“At this juncture the department has little faith that Canteen can effectively cure deficiencies related to food safety and delivery,” Lehto wrote.

After sharing the city’s memo with Canteen media contact Christina Wilder, she responded with an emailed statement attributed to an unnamed spokesperson.

“Our philosophy has always been to swiftly investigate and address issues when they occur, and that will never waver,” it read. “If we have fallen short, we will take immediate steps to address the problem.

“While we’re disappointed in the decision that was made, we are doing everything we can to ensure a smooth transition and wish the program the very best this summer.”

The school district is being paid $296,604 for the summer meals service.