DATE: | April, 5, 2000 |
SUBJECT: | State Agency (SA) Oversight of Food Safety Inspections |
TO: | Regional Directors Special Nutrition Programs All Regions |
We recently received a request for clarification of SA’s oversight responsibilities for food safety inspections under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP).
Specifically, §210.13(b) and §220.7(a-2) require participating schools to obtain food safety inspections conducted by a state or local government agency responsible for such inspections at least once a year if a state or local governmental agency does not otherwise require inspections. This requirement does not apply to schools that must comply with state or local requirements for food safety inspections even if the timeframes for these inspections are less frequent than annual.
SA’s must verify, either through the Coordinated Review Effort (CRE) or other monitoring methods, that the food safety inspection, as required under §210.13(b) and §220.7(a-2), took place and that violations, if any, were corrected. This means that the SA is responsible for verifying the occurrence of all food safety inspections whether they are carried out under state or local laws or under our newly revised regulation. Please note that if a state or local governmental agency responsible for food safety inspections conducts annual voluntary inspections in schools, these inspections may be counted toward meeting the annual requirement.
The SA may add questions to the General Area of the CRE to establish that food safety inspections were obtained in accordance with §210.13(b) or §220.7(a-2), and that violations, if any, were corrected.
STANLEY C. GARNETT
Director
Child Nutrition Division