"Food Safety Frequently Asked Questions: The Food Safety Modernization Act and its Impact on Farm to School Activities": This document includes common questions related to food safety when purchasing locally grown and raised food products directly from producers as well as food safety considerations for edible campus gardens.
FNS is aware that school food authorities and program operators may be operating NSLP, SBP, and other child nutrition programs, in a way that includes offering reimbursable meals and non-program foods (a la carte sales, catering, adult meals, etc.) using foods from popular franchise restaurants through a franchise agreement.
The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify for state and local operators of the school meal programs the permissible use of funds from the nonprofit school food service account to lower or eliminate reduced price student meal charges.
This memorandum and its attachment supersede SP-37-2011, Child Nutrition 2010: Enhancing the School Food Safety Program. Attached are questions and answers regarding the school food safety requirements for schools participating in FNS child nutrition programs.
This memorandum satisfies GAO’s recommendations for the Food and Nutrition Service to issue more specific guidance to states and school districts regarding the applicability of the food safety inspections requirement in schools that do not prepare food, such as those that only serve pre-packaged meals or meals delivered from a central preparation location (referred to in this memorandum as service-only sites).
Today’s unpredictable economy has made it important to consider accounting for the fluctuating costs of goods and services that are beyond the control of either the school food authority or the vendor.
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 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.
This memo clarifies how the food safety inspection requirement is to be carried out by program operators on military bases, Indian reservations and Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs).
This document clarifies SA’s oversight responsibilities for food safety inspections under the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program.