Responsibility to Request Food Safety Inspections

A number of schools nationwide are still having difficulty obtaining the two food safety inspections required by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. Although the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) realizes that many of the difficulties schools face are beyond their control, we would like to stress that local program operators are responsible for requesting the food safety inspections from the public health department and documenting their efforts. Program reviews will examine a school’s efforts to comply with this statutory requirement.

FNS encourages state agencies to continue their dialogue with the state and local authorities responsible for food safety inspections. FNS will continue at the federal level to promote inter-agency cooperation to protect the safety of school meals served under the child nutrition programs.

Thank you for your continued efforts to ensure compliance with this important provision of the National School Lunch Act.

CYNTHIA LONG
Director
Child Nutrition Division