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Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the current practices used in school nutrition programs to prevent intentional acts of food contamination or tampering with food. Methods: A convenience sample of school districts (n=2023) was randomly selected, representing two states from each of the seven USDA regions. School food authorities from 320 districts in 14 states participated in a live structured interview guided by a questionnaire consisting of 31 questions concerning food defense practices. The researchers conducted the interviews with videoconferencing technology or telephone and entered responses directly into an online survey to collect the data. Descriptive statistics included frequencies, percentages, and means. Results: Results suggest that many school nutrition programs have room to improve food defense programs, practices, and understanding about food defense in their districts. Almost 68% of districts and 66% of school nutrition programs reported not having a food defense plan. While the opportunity for improvement was evident in several areas, some practices to prevent an intentional food defense incident were also reported. Training was reported as lacking by 44% of the sample. Application to Child Nutrition Professionals: Results from this study can be used to bring awareness about food defense practices in the school environment, especially where practices may not be evident through existing food safety plans. It is important that school nutrition programs follow recommended standards to reduce risks and develop best practices for overall safety. Stakeholders involved in school nutrition programs can support the prevention of intentional food contamination by advocating for district and staff training and by calling attention to practices that might represent a high risk for the school nutrition program.

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) determine commonly used procedures for milk served in locations other than the cafeteria during breakfast service; and (2) examine the effectiveness of these practices in maintaining recommended milk temperatures. Methods: A national sample of 110 school nutrition directions selected using a hybrid sampling strategy (convenience and random) were invited to participate in a survey about milk service procedures. Researchers evaluated the reported service practices for locations other than the cafeteria to determine effectiveness at maintaining fluid milk temperatures below 41°F. Using an incomplete factorial design, researchers packed 30 individual units of milk to examine temperatures with the following variables: milk packaging type (carton, bottle, pouch), transportation container (milk crate, sheet pan, steam table pan, soft-side cooler, hard-side cooler), and cooling method (no ice, loose ice, or ice-sheets). Each combination was exposed to both elevated (89°F) and room (74°F) ambient temperatures for four hours respectively, during which milk temperatures were measured at five-minute intervals. Results: Thirty-two usable surveys were collected in which all districts served breakfast using alternative service models. Common transportation containers identified included insulated coolers (n=25) and non-insulated containers (n=12). The majority of respondents (n=17) reported using a cooling method when transporting milk, with ice sheets/packs (n=15) being the most commonly used. Many reported restocking unserved milk for later use (n=18), with about two-thirds checking the temperature of restocked milk (n=12). Temperature simulations revealed milk temperature varied by transportation container, cooling method, and ambient temperature (p<0.05), but not by milk packaging. The most effective holding methods for maintaining milk temperature were using either hard- and/or soft-side coolers with ice or ice sheets. Application to Child Nutrition Professionals: Effectively packing milk for alternative breakfast models is important to ensure quality and safety. Best practices to maintain low temperatures while serving milk in locations other than the cafeteria include packing milk in hard- or soft-side coolers with ice or ice sheets, and monitoring temperature of unserved milk when it is restocked for future service.

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this exploratory, observational study was three-fold: 1) Determine current food safety practices at Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sites; 2) Identify types of food served at the sites and collect associated temperatures; and 3) Establish recommendations for food safety training in the SFSP. Methods:Twenty-eight SFSP sites in seven states were observed during preparation, service, and clean-up to assess food safety practices. Before the study, researchers participated in a day and half training session which included a pilot test of the observation tools at school kitchens. Individuals completed the forms and in pairs they compared findings; final adjustments to the observation forms were made. Descriptive statistics were calculated using Excel. Results: Twenty-five sites had at least one employee or volunteer who reported having had food safety training. Proper handwashing facilities were available and accessible at most preparation sites (n = 21) and fewer service sites (n = 15). Proper handwashing (n = 14), glove changing (n = 13), and thermometer use (n = 10) were commonly out of compliance among observed sites. Application to Child Nutrition Professionals: As the SFSP expands, assuring food safety is important to the success of the program. Overall improvement is needed in personal hygiene, time/temperature control, and cleaning/sanitizing practices. New program sponsors may benefit from careful planning with food safety in mind and should provide relevant food safety training to employees and volunteers. State agencies may assist sponsors in meeting food safety training needs.

Purpose/Objectives The purpose of this exploratory, observational study was three-fold: 1) Determine current food safety practices at Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sites; 2) Identify types of food served at the sites and collect associated temperatures; and 3) Establish recommendations for food safety training in the SFSP. Methods Twenty-eight SFSP sites in seven states were observed during preparation, service, and clean-up to assess food safety practices. Before the study, researchers participated in a day and half training session which included a pilot test of the observation tools at school kitchens. Individuals completed the forms and in pairs they compared findings; final adjustments to the observation forms were made. Descriptive statistics were calculated using Excel. Results Twenty-five sites had at least one employee or volunteer who reported having had food safety training. Proper handwashing facilities were available and accessible at most preparation sites (n=21) and fewer service sites (n=15). Proper handwashing (n=14), glove changing (n=13), and thermometer use (n=10) were commonly out of compliance among observed sites. Application to Child Nutrition Professionals As the SFSP expands, assuring food safety is important to the success of the program. Overall improvement is needed in personal hygiene, time/temperature control, and cleaning/sanitizing practices. New program sponsors may benefit from careful planning with food safety in mind and should provide relevant food safety training to employees and volunteers. State agencies may assist sponsors in meeting food safety training needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each day, schools provide meals to over 31 million children, while restaurants serve 198 million customers. These operations are responsible for most foodborne illness outbreaks, and health inspection reports may reveal food safety challenges. To identify food safety risks and address behavior changes in restaurants and school foodservice, health inspection reports for 2,511 schools and 2,624 restaurants in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island were reviewed and compared. Violations were coded into 30 categories and grouped as critical and/or behavioral violations. Total, critical, and behavioral violations were calculated for both restaurants and schools and compared by use of t-tests. Odds ratios evaluated the likelihood that a specific violation type would occur. Behavioral and critical violations were more frequent in restaurants than in schools (P < 0.001). Odds ratios revealed that restaurants were 3.6 times more likely than schools to be cited for behavioral violations and 3.0 times more likely to be cited for critical violations. Restaurants had more behavioral violations in most categories, whereas violations for schools tended to involve equipment and facility maintenance. Our data revealed that food safety challenges differed between schools and restaurants. Results provide guidance for behavior changes and necessary facility maintenance at these operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracee Watkins, MBA, Michelle Alcorn, MS, Kerri Cole, Kevin Roberts, PhD and Kevin Sauer, PhD; Center for Food Safety in Child Nutrition Programs, Manhattan, KS. Research Objectives Determine commonly used milk service procedures for breakfast outside the cafeteria; measure internal milk temperatures maintained by these procedures under high and low ambient temperatures. Methods School Nutrition Directors in each USDA region were surveyed to determine procedures for milk service during breakfast outside the cafeteria. Common holding conditions were simulated. Thirty single milk servings of different packaging types (carton, bottle, pouch) were placed in containers (milk crate, sheet pan, steam-table pan, soft-side cooler, hard-side cooler) with no ice (all containers), loose ice (steam-table pan, soft-side cooler, hard-side cooler) or ice-sheets (sheet pan, steam-table pan, soft-side cooler, hard-side cooler). Packed containers were exposed to high (89°F) and low (74°F) ambient temperatures for four hours; data loggers tracked milk temperatures at five minute intervals. Data were analyzed using SPSS MIXED procedure. Results Milk temperature varied by container and cooling method (P<0.05), but not milk packaging. Hard and soft coolers (used by 58% of respondents) maintained the lowest temperatures, followed by service pans and milk crates, which were used by 5% of respondents. Sheet pans were least effective (P<0.05). Loose ice was the most effective cooling method (P<0.05). Ice sheets were used by 33% of respondents, but were less effective than loose ice (P<0.05). A majority of respondents restocked unused milk (59%); 64% indicated they checked the milk temperature within one hour of its return to the cafeteria. Application of Results Because most unused milk is restocked, effectively packing milk for service outside the cafeteria is important for quality and safety. Though ice-packs and sheets are the most commonly used, loose ice was found more effective in maintaining temperature. Soft-side and hard-side coolers maintained the lowest temperatures. When ice and insulated containers are not available, leaving milk in the original crate or placing it in a steam-table pan is preferable to serving from a sheet pan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Objectives: Determine effectiveness of practices related to time and temperature control for safety (TCS) foods served in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Methods: A convenience sample of 28 SFSP sites, four in each of the seven USDA Food and Nutrition Service regions, was observed during July and August of 2015 to determine the effectiveness of food safety practices for serving TCS foods. Observations of procedures for thermometer usage and temperature monitoring of foods during cooking, cooling, serving, storage and transportation were recorded over a single day. Additionally, digital thermocouple data loggers were used to record temperatures of hot and cold food items served in lunches. Temperatures of 23 hot and 26 cold food items were recorded at five-minute intervals from the end of meal preparation through service. Results: Observations for TCS food practices ranged from 3 to 26 depending on the food served and style of service. SFSP practices were in compliance most often with checking internal temperatures (68%) and checking end-point cooking temperatures (62%) and least often with thermometer calibration (27%) and proper cleaning/sanitizing of thermometers (40%). The most commonly followed transportation TCS food practices were delivering hot meals at proper temperatures (79%) and checking food temperatures at delivery (50%). Least common practices were using refrigerated trucks (16%) and recording food temperatures at delivery (31%). Hot foods were more likely to be served at the correct temperatures (75%) than cold foods (50%). Hot foods were held below 135o F for 45 minutes on average, and cold foods were held above 41o F for an average of 90 minutes. Of the 53 foods tracked, only one item did not meet Food Code 2013 guidelines. Application of Results Diverse food preparation and delivery systems are used in the SFSP, but all are subject to higher summer ambient temperatures. Overall, SFSP TCS food practices met Food Code standards. Minor improvements in thermometer usage and monitoring food temperatures while cooking, cooling, transporting and storing are important areas for training. Attention should be paid to cold foods that are particularly vulnerable to higher temperatures. While only 3.8 million children participate in the SFSP, expansion of the SFSP requires increasing staff capacity and targeting specific food safety training needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine how school districts have implemented food safety programs based on HACCP principles. Specific objectives included: 1. Evaluate how schools are implementing components of food safety programs and 2. Determine foodservice employees food-handling practices related to food safety. Methods: The study included a national sample of 34 school districts in eight states, including 11 small, 9 medium, 6 large, and 8 mega districts. Six researchers collected data on-site in each of the school's food production facilities. Data collection instruments included a Facility Observation Form, a Food Safety Observation Form, and a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) Verification Checklist.  All instruments were pilot tested prior to use. The research protocol was reviewed and approved by the University's Institutional Review Board prior to data collection.  Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. A recent health inspection report was collected from each school and qualitative data were also compiled Results: Of 34 schools visited, food safety plans were available in 33 schools, although few were customized to the specific school. Most of the recommended standard operating procedures related to HACCP were used. However, researchers found few records of corrective actions.  The health inspection scores for most schools were high, which reflects that food safety practices had been adequately operationalized. Overall, school facility observations were positive. Approximately 60% of employees failed to wash their hands as recommended by the 2009 Food Code. Most employees washed their hands before preparing food, but many times, improper hand washing procedures were used. Applications to Child Nutrition Professionals: School foodservice employees performed well, but there are opportunities for food contamination to occur.  Directors and managers can utilize this data to evaluate their food safety programs and practices to assure they are achieving their intended goal to serve safe and wholesome food to schoolchildren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]