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School Food Safety Program

Date: March 01, 2011
Source: Admin

The School Food Safety Program is based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Principles (HACCP) established by the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA). HACCP implemented a legislative provision requiring school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to develop a school food safety program for the preparation and service of school meals served to children. It enables schools to take systematic action to minimize or prevent the risk of food-borne illness among children participating in the either program.

HACCP-based food safety program requirements:

identify food/procedures most likely to cause food-borne illness
enable SFAs to identify potential food hazards
identify critical points where hazards can be controlled or minimized through control measures; develops procedures to reduce the risk of an outbreak
establish monitoring procedures and corrective action to keep food safe
verify consistent safety of food

The Process Approach by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

simplifies traditional HACCP by grouping foods according to preparation process
applies the same control measures to all menu items within a group, instead of developing a HACCP plan for each item.
gives SFAs the option to implement traditional HACCP

Food Safety Requirements for School Agencies

Request two food safety inspections for each school year, each school year from the state or local governmental agency responsible for food safety inspections
Create public posts of the most recent food safety inspection; keep copy of the report for requests
Implement a food safety program based on Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, per USDA guidance.
Create annual reports for the Department of Public Instruction of the number of food safety inspections conducted at each site.

Requirements

Monitoring and Recording Food Temperature Daily	· Keep cold food cold and hot food hot · Cook and hold at proper temperatures · Record temperatures
Recordkeeping Period	· Six months following each month's temperature records
Sanitation	· Keep food preparation areas clean (hands, utensils, food contact surfaces) · Avoid cross contamination
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)	· Use SOPs for sanitation and temperature verification

Regulations

Section 111 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004	· Requires school food authorities (SFAs) to implement a food safety program at every food preparation and service facility participating in the NSLP or the SBP
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612)	· No significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities · SFAs to follow proper sanitation and health standards established under State and local law
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public Law 104-4	· Requires federal agencies to assess the effects of their regulatory actions on State, local, and tribal governments and the private sector · The Department generally must prepare a written statement, including a cost/ benefit analysis, for proposed and final rules with Federal mandates that may result in expenditures to State, local, or tribal governments in the aggregate, or to the private sector, of $100 million or more in any 1 year. · Requires the Department to identify and consider a reasonable number of regulatory alternatives and adopt the least costly, more cost-effective or least burdensome alternative that achieves the objectives of the rule
Section 202 of the UMRA
Section 205 of the UMRA
Executive Order 12372	· Requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials
7 CFR Part 210	· Grant programs—education · Grant programs—health, Infants and children · Nutrition, Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements · School breakfast and lunch programs · Surplus agricultural commodities
7 CFR Part 220	· Grant programs—education · Grant programs—health, infants and children · Nutrition, Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements · School breakfast and lunch programs

Guidance

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), UDSA published a ‘‘Guidance for School Food Authorities: Developing a School Food Safety Program Based on the Process Approach to HACCP Principles’’ to guide SFAs in the implementation of the food safety program.

Noncompliance

The following compliance actions could result as a consequence of noncompliance: