Enhancing the School Food Safety Program

This Management Bulletin (MB) notifies School Nutrition Program sponsors of new U.S. Department of Agriculture requirements for all food safety programs (FSPs) operated in a school.  

This requirement pertains to participants of the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and the Afterschool Care Programs.

Background

On December 13, 2010, President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (Act), reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Programs. Section 205 of the Act amended section 9(h)(5) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, by modifying requirements for school FSPs. It requires that school FSPs apply the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles not only to the cafeteria but also to any facility where food is stored, prepared, or served.

Requirements

Standard operating procedures in school FSPs must be updated to include any facility or part of a facility where food is stored, prepared, or served. The HACCP principles for food served in the cafeteria apply to all other facilities and can include, but are not limited to the following:

• School buses
• Hallways on school campuses
• School courtyards
• Kiosks
• Classrooms

Implementation

These requirements have been effective since July 1, 2011.

If you have any questions regarding this MB, please contact Lori Porter, Child Nutrition Consultant (CNC) in the School Nutrition Programs (SNP) Unit, by phone at 916-322-1454 or by e-mail at lporter@cde.ca.gov, or Ashley Osterman, CNC in the Northern SNP Unit, by phone at 916-445-1261 or by e-mail at aosterman@cde.ca.gov.