The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires the California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) to annually collect data from school food authorities (SFA) regarding mandatory food safety inspections conducted at school sites that serve lunch or breakfast in accordance with Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, sections 210.15(a)(7) and 210.20(b)(10).
All SFAs participating in federal School Nutrition Programs must comply with this mandatory food safety inspection data collection by completing the Food Safety Inspection Survey for School Year (SY) 2024–25 in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) by September 26, 2025.
Important to note, group homes do not fall under the jurisdiction of the local or county environmental health department; therefore, they will not be able to obtain inspections from their local or county environmental health department. However, group homes are still required to complete the mandatory food safety inspection survey.
How to Access the Food Safety Inspection Survey
- Go to the CNIPS website
- Enter your User ID and Password, then select Log On
- If not already enrolled in the 2025–26 school year, be sure to follow the 2025–26 Annual Update Instructions for access to the Food Safety Inspection Survey
- Select school year 2025–26 from the blue toolbar at the top of your screen
- Select Applications from the blue toolbar
- Select Food Safety Inspections from the items list
Instructions for Completing the Mandatory Food Safety Inspection Survey
For food safety inspections performed in SY 2024–25
Item 1a: Number of food safety inspections performed
From the drop-down menu, select the number of food safety inspections performed at each of your district or agency sites by the local or county environmental health department. If you select none or one, you must complete Item 1c for that site. If you select two, three, or more, you do not need to complete Item 1c for that site.
For group homes, please select none to report that zero inspections were conducted.
Item 1b: Cost of each food safety inspection reported in Item 1a
Indicate the cost of food safety inspections for each site. If the site was:
- Charged a flat fee for two or more inspections, divide the cost by the number of inspections and indicate this cost in the box
- Charged a different fee for each of the two inspections, indicate the highest fee
- Charged the same fee for all inspections, indicate this fee in the corresponding box
- Not charged a fee, indicate that the cost was $0
- A group home, indicate that the cost was $0
Item 1c: Reason for fewer than two inspections conducted
If you selected none or one for a site in Item 1a, identify the reason your SFA did not receive the required two inspections by selecting one of the four reasons from the drop-down menu. If you select other, explain in the space provided the reason that two food safety inspections were not conducted. If more than one reason applies, select the predominant reason why none or one inspection was conducted at that site. Do not complete Item 1c if you selected two, three, or more in Item 1a.
For group homes, please select other and choose group home as the reason for not obtaining the two inspections.
Attachment
SFAs that failed to obtain the two mandatory food safety inspections because their local or county environmental health department could not provide such services must attach a copy of the response from their local or county environmental health department stating why the department could not conduct the inspections. If the SFA did not receive a response from their local or county environmental health department, please attach a copy of the letter or email that the SFA sent to the local or county environmental health department requesting the inspections.
Certification
Read the certification statement and type in your full name, email address, and phone number in the spaces provided. Select Save to automatically submit the Food Safety Inspection Survey to the NSD.
CDE Guidance and Resources
- Mandatory Food Safety Inspections-Reminder Management Bulletin (MB)
- Food Safety Resource web page
- Food Safety Certification Requirements MB
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact the School Nutrition Programs Unit by email at SNPInfo@cde.ca.gov.