This message reminds program operators participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program of the mandatory requirement to obtain two food safety inspections at each site from their state or local environmental health department (LEHD) annually. In addition, program operators are required to report to the California Department of Education (CDE) on the inspection activities.
Important to note, group homes do not fall under the jurisdiction of the LEHD; therefore, they will not be able to obtain inspections from their LEHD. However, group homes are still required to complete the mandatory food safety inspection survey.
This July, the CDE will open the 2025–26 Food Safety Inspection Survey (FSIS) in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) during annual updates for School Year (SY) 2026–27. Program operators will be required to report results for each site. A separate listserv with instructions on how to access the FSIS in the CNIPS, and instructions for completing the mandatory FSIS is forthcoming.
Request for Food Safety Inspections
The program operator is responsible for the following:
- Requesting two food safety inspections from their LEHD
- Documenting the request for food safety inspections
- Having the documentation available for the CDE upon request
If the program operator fails to obtain the two mandatory food safety inspections, the CDE will request the program operator provide a copy of the response from the LEHD stating why the health department could not conduct the inspections. If the program operator did not receive a response from their LEHD, the CDE will request the program operator to provide a copy of the letter sent to their LEHD requesting the inspections.
The CDE recommends that program operators contact their LEHD early in the SY to allow time to obtain the two food safety inspections.
For additional guidance, refer to the CDE Mandatory Food Safety Inspections-Reminder Management Bulletin web page.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact the School Nutrition Programs Unit by email at SNPInfo@cde.ca.gov.