Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network
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ENHANCING THE SAFETY OF SCHOOL LUNCH
Edited by: Stephanie Wallner, M.S., Mary Schroeder, M.S., R.D, Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State - Fall 2006
The safety of food served in American schools has become an increasingly important issue in recent years, drawing the attention and concern of both the media and the public. Buying meals at school is a popular choice for many students, especially with both breakfast and lunch available; it is estimated that approximately 93% of public schools in the United States are currently involved in the National School Lunch and/or School Breakfast Programs. Through these programs, 29 million lunches and 9 million breakfasts are served to students each day. While most schools have good food safety records, highly publicized outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with school lunch and the large number of students consuming these meals daily have raised the level of concern among both parents and experts about the safety of meals served at school.
In response to these concerns, last year Congress amended the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 with requirements designed to enhance the safety of food served through the School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. These amendments were detailed in an Interim Rule published in the Federal Register on June 15, 2005 and in a longer document entitled "Guidance for School Food Authorities: Developing A School Food Safety Program Based on the Process Approach to HACCP Principles."
The new regulations increased the number of food safety inspections required of all schools from one to two per year. Schools are now required to post their most recent food safety inspection report in a visible location and to release a copy of the report to the public upon request. In addition, State-level agencies are required to monitor school compliance with the new inspection requirements and submit a report annual to the federal Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) detailing the number of food safety inspections conducted per school. Finally, the new amendments require school food authorities to develop and implement HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) food safety programs for food preparation and service in their establishments. Such plans must include several key elements: documented standard operating procedures, written plans at each school food preparation site for applying HACCP principles, documentation of critical control points of production, monitoring systems, documentation of corrective actions, record keeping, and review of overall food safety programs.
The above requirements went into effect July 1, 2005, and schools have been working to comply with the new regulations since. The first report to FNS detailing compliance with the two food safety inspections/year rule will be due this November. It is hoped that by implementing these new requirements, public schools will be better able to improve safe food preparation and serving practices, and to identify problems and shortcomings quickly and on a regular basis. Experts hope that the quality and safety of school meals will be enhanced as a result, and children will be further protected from foodborne illnesses at school.
Sources:
- School Fodo Safety Inspections. Federal Register. Vol. 70, No. 114, pp. 34627-30. June 15, 2005.
- Guidance for School Food Authorities: Developing a School Food Safety Program based on the Process Approach to HACCP Principles. Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/CNlabeling/Food-Safety/HACCPGuidance.pdf.
