Students Choose It: Blended Protein Passes One of Food’s Toughest Tests, Expands Across South Carolina K-12 Schools

West Columbia, SC – Feb 18, 2026 — In school cafeterias, students are often the most unforgiving judges of food. In recent testing across Berkeley County, South Carolina schools, they delivered a decisive verdict: 96% approved 50Cut meatballs and 92% approved 50Cut burgers.

Following these results, 50Cut by Joyn Foods has been approved on the South Carolina Purchasing Alliance (SCPA) bid, enabling school districts across the state to purchase the product through streamlined procurement.

Gaining approval in K-12 is a rigorous process that typically requires detailed product specifications, compliance with USDA meal pattern requirements, competitive pricing validation, and demonstrated student acceptance through testing. Many products never move beyond initial review, making student-driven results a critical factor in statewide purchasing decisions. Passing student testing at this level signals not trial curiosity, but sustained adoption potential. Many products do not move beyond pilot testing.

The stakes are significant. The National School Lunch Program serves approximately 29.9 million lunches every school day in the United States. Schools collectively represent one of the largest purchasers of ground beef in the country, serving burgers, meatballs, tacos, and similar formats at massive scale. In this environment, even a small formulation change can impact millions of meals annually.

“Schools don’t have room for compromise,” said Shalom Daniel, Founder and CEO of Joyn Foods. “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.”

50Cut blends beef with high-protein roasted mushrooms to enhance moisture and umami flavor while maintaining protein levels, and reducing fat and sodium levels. Because it behaves like conventional ground meat in preparation and service, it requires no kitchen retraining or equipment changes, enabling districts to integrate it into familiar menu items.

District leaders across the country reinforce what the testing in South Carolina demonstrated:

“As a K–12 chef committed to serving meals that are both healthy for students and responsible for the planet, 50Cut’s burgers and meatballs stand out for their high-quality ingredients, exceptional flavor, clean labels, and reduced fat and sodium content. Most importantly, the taste resonates with students,” said Chef Jason Hull, Director of Culinary Services at Marin Country Day School.

"Even more impressive, our most disconcerting eaters in K–2 rated [50Cut] 84% positive," added Leah Botko, Food & Nutrition Services Director for RSU 23 Old Orchard Beach Schools. “50Cut hits the mark for students looking for a more sustainable burger without sacrificing taste.”

With statewide purchasing access now available in South Carolina, the approval provides a pathway for broader adoption through additional school purchasing cooperatives evaluating blended protein solutions. Because K-12 foodservice operates at consistent, recurring volume, successful adoption can translate into long-term demand across millions of meals annually.

About 50Cut by Joyn Foods
50Cut by Joyn Foods is a balanced protein solution designed to blend seamlessly with conventional ground meat in institutional foodservice applications. Developed for real-world scalability, 50Cut combines beef with roasted mushrooms to enhance flavor, improve nutrition, increase yield, and reduce environmental impact without changing kitchen operations or student acceptance.

Joyn Foods is one of the pioneers of the balanced protein category, focused on delivering practical, middle-ground solutions for large-scale foodservice operators. The company partners with schools, universities, corporate dining programs, hospitality groups, and major distributors to help modernize protein consumption while preserving the familiarity and satisfaction of traditional meat-based meals.

For more information, visit 50CUT.COM.