STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A revamped food delivery service for New Yorkers in need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic promises to deliver one million meals per day by next week.
Additionally, the city has ended contracts with two food vendors after reports of rotten food and other issues with the service in recent weeks, said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, the New York City food czar, on Thursday.
“Here’s what I will not tolerate in this program,” Garcia said. “Any expired food, meals that don’t meet our nutritional guidelines, late or missed delivery, and different meals than you ordered.”
The announcement was made at Mayor Bill de Blasio’s daily press conference, where the mayor commended Advance/SILive.com, a few other news outlets and elected officials for pointing to issues with the service.
“A lot of times our colleagues in the media have pointed out specific problems that have helped us make the food program better, address the problem, realize something that needs to be fixed,” de Blasio said. “That’s one of the great virtues of the free press, is the ability to see things and hold government accountable.”
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In addition to the one million meals delivered daily through Emergency Food Delivery, more than a half-million “grab-and-go” meals will be available daily at 500 schools across the city, officials said Thursday.
Nutritional standards for seniors when assembling the meals include sodium limits and requirements for protein, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Additionally, the dietary needs of residents who only eat kosher, halal or vegetarian also will be met.
“We don’t want anything to go to waste, and if we can’t deliver food that you will eat then we have not solved the problem,” Garcia said.
Officials said the city currently is working with about 30 food providers, while they actively seek non-profit and for-profit vendors to increase the output.