Blended Beef-Mushroom Product Wins 96% Student Approval, Secures Statewide School Purchasing in South Carolina

At a Glance

Joyn Foods' 50Cut, a blended beef-and-mushroom product, has been approved for statewide purchasing across South Carolina K-12 schools after achieving 96% student approval for meatballs and 92% for burgers in Berkeley County testing. The product is now available through the South Carolina Purchasing Alliance, enabling streamlined procurement for districts across the state. With the National School Lunch Program serving roughly 29.9 million lunches daily, even incremental adoption of blended protein in school cafeterias could affect millions of meals annually.

Key Details

• 50Cut blends beef with high-protein roasted mushrooms, maintaining protein levels while reducing fat and sodium, and requires no changes to kitchen equipment or staff training.
• Approval on the South Carolina Purchasing Alliance bid followed a rigorous process including USDA meal pattern compliance, competitive pricing validation, and demonstrated student acceptance.
• The National School Lunch Program is one of the largest ground beef purchasers in the United States, making K-12 adoption a significant commercial milestone for blended protein products.
• Testimonials from school food directors in other states, including Maine and California, indicate broader interest in the product beyond South Carolina.
• Among the youngest students (K-2), often considered the most difficult to please, 50Cut received an 84% positive rating at one school district.

Quotes

"Schools don't have room for compromise. They need food students actively choose, that fits tight budgets, and works operationally. These results show blended protein can meet real-world performance standards — not just sustainability goals — at scale." —Shalom Daniel, Founder and CEO of Joyn Foods