The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is contracting out for food service at the jail.

Sheriff Chuck Heit tells us after many years of in-house food service to feed inmates, Canteen Services, Inccorporated will take over starting in May.

“We’ve got our food service director, the manager of our jail kitchen, is going to be retiring coming up and we’ve had a vacant cook position for a while, so based on staffing and that change in the management, Canteen Services, who we have a relationship already with our commissary, will provide food service,” Heit said.

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners this week approved the new contract with Canteen Services to handle the meals.

Heit says not many people would know it, but meals at the jail are a major county operation.

“Our numbers are down a little bit, but that range could be anywhere from 28,000 meals a month to 35,000 meals a month. So when I presented to the commissioners, I gave a conservative number, and obviously, the contract is based on a pro-meal price of $1.80 a meal.”

Heit says the Berrien County Jail has the busiest kitchen in the county.

Canteen Services already does jail food service in Cass, Van Buren, and LaPorte counties, so they’re familiar with the area. Heit says the county’s three remaining kitchen employees, once the manager retires, will be able to apply to work for Canteen.

The new contract is expected to save the county up to $70,000 per year, depending on the number of meals the jail serves.