FNS Documents & Resources

This final rule implements a legislative provision which requires school food authorities participating in NSLP or SBP to develop a school food safety program for the preparation and service of school meals served to children.

This final rule adopts without change the food safety inspections requirements for the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program set forth in a previous interim rule issued by the Food and Nutrition Service as a result of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. 

This memorandum modifies the policy related to categorical eligibility for free meals or free milk for children who are members of a household receiving assistance under SNAP, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations or the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program.

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.

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to implement a school food safety program for the preparation and service of school meals served to children.

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).

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify state agency procedures for direct verification, especially concerning the use of Medicaid data.

This document announces the effective date of the information collection provisions contained in the originally-published rule.

This interim rule reflects amendments made by section 111 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 which require schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program  to increase the number of food safety inspections from the one inspection currently required to two inspections per year; to post the most recent inspection report in a visible location; and to release a copy of the report to members of the public upon request.

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 amended sections of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act affecting the eligibility determination process for free and reduced price benefits under the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and the Special Milk Program for Children.