Individual Consumers
There are often multiple meal providers from which to choose. That decision is yours and, in an attempt to be fair to providers, case managers are typically not allowed to recommend a specific provider or provide “too much” information. Some case management offices interpret the requirement as providing almost NO information…often leaving individuals in the dark. Others provide informational flyers or other materials and may go so far as to suggest one provider’s business model may fit better than others. Regardless, each home delivered meal provider approved by the program is available for all participants.
If you have forgotten your case manager’s name and/or phone number,
call 1-800-677-1116 or visit www.eldercare.gov and search for the agency serving your area. Someone there will be able to reconnect you with your case manager.
While we do provide hot meals to congregate sites and offer nutritionally-balanced shelf-stable pantry meals (requiring no cooking), GA Foods is committed to providing the safest, most nutritious meals possible. Frozen meals allow our chefs to cook meals using ingredients at the peak of their nutrition content and then lock that nutrition and taste in using a special flash freeze process that ensures food safety and great taste.
To learn more about the benefits of frozen meals, see our blog post Fresh vs. Frozen Home Delivered Meals.
Your parents might be eligible for home-delivered meals through an agency.
To identify the agency that can determine eligibility and arrange service,
call 1-800-677-1116 or visitwww.eldercare.gov.
On the eldercare.gov site, interested individuals can search for services by a location based on zip code or city and state. We recommend searching based on zip code, particularly in large metropolitan areas who may be served by multiple agencies. Locate agencies listed in the search results that have “Nutrition Programs” or “Home Delivered Meals” in their description. Contact those agencies directly and request home-delivered meals service from GA Foods.
You might be eligible for home-delivered meals through an agency.
To identify the agency that can determine eligibility and arrange service,
call 1-800-677-1116 or visit www.eldercare.gov.
On the eldercare.gov site, interested individuals can search for services by a location based on zip code or city and state. We recommend searching based on zip code, particularly in large metropolitan areas who may be served by multiple agencies. Locate agencies listed in the search results that have “Nutrition Programs” or “Home Delivered Meals” in their description. Contact those agencies directly and request home-delivered meals service from GA Foods.
To identify the agency that can determine your eligibility,
call 1-800-677-1116 or visit www.eldercare.gov.
On the eldercare.gov site, interested individuals can search for services by a location based on zip code or city and state. We recommend searching based on zip code, particularly in large metropolitan areas who may be served by multiple agencies. Locate agencies listed in the search results that have “Nutrition Programs” or “Home-Delivered Meals” in their description. Contact those agencies directly and request home-delivered meals service from GA Foods.
GA Foods provides home-delivered meals from coast-to-coast throughout the continental United States. Field service representatives trained in food safety and eldercare issues deliver our meals in specially designed freezer trucks.
Other than in very special cases, we do not ship heavy boxes of food in ice packs using common carriers like UPS, FedEx or the USPS. Find out why here: GA Foods Delivery Compared to Other Providers
Bulk Frozen Meals and Multi-Day Total Meals System Variety Packages
Bulk Frozen Meals and TMS variety packs can be delivered anywhere in the continental United States.
Shelf Stable Meals
Shelf stable meals and meal kits can be delivered almost anywhere in the world. The U.S. Military deploys globally with SunMeadow® brand shelf-stable meal kits.
Hot Daily-Delivered Food for Senior Nutrition Programs
Hot food for both senior and child nutrition programs can be delivered within a specified radius of one of our seven facilities located in:
• Alabaster, AL
• Center Hill, FL
• Covington, GA
• Daytona, FL
• Dothan, AL
• Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Ft. Myers, FL
• Guntersville, AL
• Montgomery, AL
• Orlando, FL
• Orville, AL
• St. Louis, MO
• St. Petersburg, FL
• Satsuma, AL
• Trinity, AL
Charter and Private Schools
Meals and snacks specially designed for schools and child nutrition programs can be delivered within a specified radius of one of our seven facilities located in:
• Center Hill, FL
• Daytona, FL
• Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Ft. Myers, FL
• Orlando, FL
• St. Petersburg, FL
Case Managers
Level 2 generally refers to a state and national fingerprint-based check and consideration of disqualifying offenses and applies to those employees designated by law as holding positions of responsibility or trust.
Dietary and Nutrition
See our frozen vegetarian meals here: https://www.sunmeadow.com/what-we-offer/senior/frozen/meatless/
Nutritional information for each frozen meal and multi-day Total Meal System packs can be found by following the link to the individual product and clicking the appropriate button.
Nutrition information for senior nutrition shelf stable meals can be found by clicking the “Nutritionals” link found at the bottom of each option available in our multi-day packs. Quick links to those sections follow:
• 7-Day Pantry Meals
• 5-Day Panty Meals
• 2-Day Pantry Meals
Nutrition information for military meal kits can also be downloaded by clicking the “Nutritionals” link found in each of the following sections:
• Shelf stable meal kits
• Thaw and serve sandwich kits
• Bulk sandwiches and fruit cups
Product Information
In general, a SunMeadow® meal kit has a shelf life of nine months, although we also manufacture special meal kits that have a three-year shelf life. Individual components of a meal kit vary widely. Nonfat dry milk, for example, is recommended to be best used within 18 months while SunMeadow® Beef Stew has a “best used by shelf life” of three years, but product safety guidelines assign a usable shelf life of 5 years.
The production date code can be discerned from the example as follows:
From Steve Pretanik, director of science and technology for the National Broiler Council:
Chickens which are sold as broiler/fryers typically are slaughtered between 6 to 8 weeks of age. Outwardly they appear fully mature, but their bones haven`t completely calcified. As a result, the bone mass is very porous. Deeply colored pigment from the bone marrow migrates to the surface and often is visible along the bone and the meat that is immediately attached to the bone.
Home freezing of fresh chickens exacerbates the problem. The marrow expands inside the bones as the chicken freezes and eventually pushes through to the surface. When chickens are frozen commercially, the freezing process is quicker and therefore cuts down on the likelihood of the marrow seeping through the bones.
The meat still is perfectly wholesome, Pretanik said, and the marrow is safe and even nutritious to eat. He noted, however, that the industry is addressing the problem, hoping to solve it through nutrition and genetics.
Following is a link to food safety information from the USDA, Chicken from Farm to Table: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/ad74bb8d-1dab-49c1-b05e-390a74ba7471/Chicken_from_Farm_to_Table.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
Page 6 references pink meat and dark bones that may be causing concern.
Additionally, click here to read a letter from our supplier regarding blood in bone-in chicken.
We agree, however, that blood in cooked chicken can be off-putting. We are redesigning our meals to reduce bone-in chicken to eliminate the concern with our customers.
Child Nutrition
• Center Hill, FL
• Daytona, FL
• Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Ft. Myers, FL
• Orlando, FL
• St. Petersburg, FL
