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Resource | Policy Service of Traditional Foods in Public Facilities

Section 4033 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 directs the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration to allow the donation to and serving of traditional food through food service programs at public facilities and nonprofit facilities, including those operated by Indian tribes and facilities operated by tribal organizations, that primarily serve Indians.

07/31/2015
Resource | Policy Updated Offer vs Serve Guidance for the NSLP and SBP Beginning SY 2015-16

Offer versus Serve is a provision in the NSLP and School Breakfast Program that allows students to decline some of the food offered. The goals of OVS are to reduce food waste in the school meals programs while permitting students to decline foods they do not intend to eat. 

07/21/2015
Resource | Training and Outreach MyPlate Nate and Kate Stickers

Use these fun stickers to give a “high five” to kids for making a MyPlate meal that includes healthful food choices from each of the five food groups. 

05/19/2015
Resource | Policy Voluntary Menu Labeling in the NSLP and SBP

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the final rule, Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments in the Federal Register (79 FR 71155) on Dec. 1, 2014.

05/19/2015
Resource | Policy Q&As Related to the “Smart Snacks” Interim Final Rule

This is the third in a series of Questions and Answers related to the interim final rule titled, National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program: Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in School as Required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

03/31/2015
Resource | Research Plans Analyses of the Contributing Factors Associated With Foodborne Outbreaks in School Settings (2000–2010)

The purpose of the authors’ study was to examine the role of contributing factors in school foodborne outbreaks. Contamination factors accounted for the greatest proportion (49.2%) of outbreaks involving some level of food handling interaction by a school food service worker, followed by proliferation (34.9%) and survival factors (15.9%). Over 56% of all illnesses were associated with norovirus and food service worker practices.

03/01/2015
Resource | Policy Summer Meal Programs Meal Service Requirements Q&As - Revised

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance on meal service requirements in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the National School Lunch Program’s (NSLP) Seamless Summer Option (SSO).

01/12/2015
Resource | Policy Memos Responsibility to Request Food Safety Inspections

A number of schools nationwide are still having difficulty obtaining the two food safety inspections required by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. Although FNS realizes that many of the difficulties schools face are beyond their control, we would like to stress that local program operators are responsible for requesting the food safety inspections from the public health department and documenting their efforts.

09/19/2008
Resource | Proposed Rule Proposed Rule: School Food Safety Program Based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Principles

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to implement a school food safety program for the preparation and service of school meals served to children.

08/05/2008
Resource | Research and Data History of the National School Lunch Program

School food service programs such as we have in 1971 did not just happen over-night nor even during the past decade. Preceding today's programs is a long history of more than a hundred years of development, of testing and evaluating, and of constant research to provide the best in nutrition, nutrition education, and food service for the nation's millions of children in school. 

01/17/2008
Page updated: October 14, 2021