Product Launches
Gold Star Foods and Massachusetts DESE Launch Two Local Food Programs for School Meals
By News Desk ·
Key takeaways
- Gold Star Foods and the Massachusetts DESE Food Distribution Program launched two local food initiatives available to participating schools beginning October 2026.
- One initiative features Ocean Spray Craisins made from cranberries harvested in Massachusetts; the other offers Marinara Sauce and Tikka Masala Sauce made by Commonwealth Kitchen from USDA Direct Delivery diced tomatoes.
- Gold Star Foods serves more than 900 K-12 school districts nationwide, according to akta.pro company records.
Gold Star Foods and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Food Distribution Program launched two Massachusetts Local Food initiatives for school meal programs, available to participating schools beginning this October, PR Newswire reported on October 19, 2026. The programs bring locally sourced and locally produced products to schools across the Commonwealth.
How the Massachusetts Local Food Programs Work
The first initiative features Ocean Spray Craisins produced from cranberries harvested in Massachusetts, connecting the state's cranberry crop directly to school meal programs. The second partners with Massachusetts-based manufacturer Commonwealth Kitchen to transform USDA Direct Delivery diced tomatoes into Marinara Sauce and Tikka Masala Sauce designed for school meal programs.
Through the Massachusetts DESE Food Distribution Program, the state coordinates procurement and distribution services, which the announcement says reduces administrative burden for districts and strengthens connections between schools and Massachusetts food producers.
"Massachusetts is committed to creating innovative solutions that increase access to local foods in our school meal programs," said Lucinda Ward, USDA Foods Distribution Coordinator at MA DESE. "By coordinating procurement and distribution services at the state level, we are making it easier for schools to purchase local products while creating meaningful opportunities for Massachusetts businesses and agricultural producers."
Stephanie Ewing, Chief Governmental Officer for Gold Star Foods, said the state's approach connects schools, state agencies, manufacturers, distributors and agricultural producers. "The result is a program that makes local purchasing easier for schools while delivering meaningful economic benefits to Massachusetts businesses," she said.
The announcement states that school districts often cite procurement requirements, limited purchasing capacity and supply chain challenges as barriers to local purchasing, and that the Massachusetts model addresses these by coordinating sourcing, procurement and distribution at the state level.
Gold Star Foods' School Nutrition Reach
Gold Star Foods is a temperature-controlled, multi-category foodservice distributor serving more than 900 K-12 school districts nationwide, according to akta.pro company records. The same records list a revenue estimate of $250 million to $500 million and a valuation estimate of $500 million to $1 billion, with total funding of $40 million from a private equity round in March 2017. The company was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Ontario, California.
Continued Collaboration on Local Sourcing
The Massachusetts DESE Food Distribution Program and Gold Star Foods said they anticipate continued collaboration with local suppliers and school nutrition professionals to identify additional opportunities for expanding local sourcing initiatives in the future. Gold Star Foods lists information about its programs at its website.