Aramark Student Nutrition Announces Nationwide Update to School Menus for 2026–2027
New Menus Reflect Strong Demand for Removal of Artificial Food Dye and Additives
As states across the country legislate nutritional guidelines, Aramark Student Nutrition today announced updated school menus for the 2026–2027 school year, marking a natural next step in the company's longstanding approach to nutrition quality, ingredient transparency, and regulatory readiness. The new menus take decisive action to ensure consistency and compliance while reducing complexity for school districts.
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As states across the country legislate nutritional guidelines, Aramark Student Nutrition today announced updated school menus for the 2026–2027 school year, marking a natural next step in the company's longstanding approach to nutrition quality, ingredient transparency, and regulatory readiness. The new menus take decisive action to ensure consistency and compliance while reducing complexity for school districts.
"In 2025 alone, feedback from nearly 90,000 students and parents nationwide reinforced our direction in providing greater ingredient transparency, lower sugar and sodium, and school meals made from simple ingredients," said Brisbane Vaillancourt, President and CEO of Aramark Student Nutrition. "This research has allowed us to stay ahead of increasingly rigorous nutrition standards while remaining deeply connected to the needs and expectations of the school communities we serve."
Aramark Student Nutrition undertook a detailed ingredient review across menus to identify and remove items containing commonly regulated ingredients. The updated menu removed products containing the following additives and artificial dyes from all schools participating in the National School Lunch Program: Brominated vegetable oil (BVO), Potassium bromate, Propylparaben, Azodicarbonamide, Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), Titanium dioxide, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Citrus Red 3, and Orange B.
In their place, the company worked with suppliers to identify reformulated products or suitable alternatives that maintain taste and familiarity for students.
"Our goal is to help schools move forward with confidence," said Beth Ann Engelland, MBA, RDN, Aramark Student Nutrition Vice President of Operational Excellence & Marketing. "This work reflects the discipline we bring to every menu decision — asking hard questions about ingredients, doing the detailed review, and making changes that stand up over time."
Technology and Expertise Powering the Transition
Over the past several years, Aramark Student Nutrition has advanced menus with less added sugar, lower sodium, more whole grains, and fewer artificial ingredients.
This work, as well as the new menu update, is supported by a strong technical foundation that helps teams stay compliant and move quickly. PRIMA, Aramark's proprietary menu system enhanced by AI-powered features like Culinary Co-Pilot, allows the company to build menus, track costs, and manage compliance in one place. The tool helps operators make smarter purchasing and menu planning decisions in real time, enabling them to adjust quickly with greater accuracy and creativity.
"Aramark Student Nutrition's work is a demonstration of how the company operates: listening to consumer and client needs, moving ahead of regulatory change, and treating proactive action not as an exception, but as a standard," said Vaillancourt.
In 2025, 17 Aramark Student Nutrition partner school districts were recognized with a total of 24 USDA Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Recognition Awards, reflecting Aramark's active commitment to student health and well-being.
About Aramark Student Nutrition
Aramark Student Nutrition is at the forefront of powering student potential through exceptional food services in K-12 schools and school districts. With more than 60 years of industry experience and serving over 270 million meals annually to 1.5 million students nationwide, Student Nutrition fosters brighter futures through creative, diverse, and nutrition packed menus featuring fresh, local ingredients. Connect with Student Nutrition on LinkedIn to learn more.
Aramark (NYSE:ARMK) proudly serves the world's leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 16 countries around the world with food and facilities management. Because of our hospitality culture, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and the planet. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Media Contact: Heather Dotchel, dotchel-heather@aramark.com