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School Nutrition Bulletin 2324-20

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Announcements from the WI DPI School Nutrition Team (SNT)

Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

 

USDA Policy Memorandum SP 06-2024: Rural Designations in the Summer Meal Programs-Revised

The purpose of this memorandum is to revise guidance on rural designations in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the National School Lunch Program’s Seamless Summer Option (SSO). The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (the Act) (P.L. 117-328) authorized a permanent non-congregate meal service option through the SFSP and SSO for children who live in rural communities with no congregate meal service.

This memorandum is updated to include revisions to the definition of rural as provided in the interim final rule, Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-Congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2023. The revised definition allows the use of multiple recognized Federal definitions and classifications to designate areas as rural without further USDA approval, as well as the option for State agencies, with Food and Nutrition Service Regional Office (FNSRO) approval, to identify additional pockets that are rural in character based on other data sources. The revised definition will ease administrative burden and streamline the site identification and approval process for State agencies and Program sponsors.

In addition, this memorandum highlights the updates made to the FNS Rural Designation Map, a tool available to assist State agencies and sponsors in designating sites as rural.

This memorandum supersedes SFSP policy memorandum SFSP 17-2015, Rural Designations in the Summer Food Service Program – Revised, April 21, 2017.
 

Produce Safety University (PSU) Webinar: Keeping School Food Safe Starts with Science

Date: Wednesday, January 30, 2024
Time: 2:00 PM CST

As part of Produce Safety University's Continuing Education Program, this live webinar and PSU instructor Q&A session will take participants into the laboratory, with presentations from produce safety scientists conducting real-world food safety research at the USDA Agricultural Research Service. We will hear about ongoing produce safety research, what challenges researchers are seeking to solve, and the impacts that USDA research has on our everyday lives. We will also connect science to practice and discuss how food safety challenges drive research questions, and how USDA research is translated into the everyday food safety practices you use and follow in your kitchen operations. Following the instructional portion of the webinar, instructors from the PSU program will be available for an extended Q&A session, taking questions on all topics related to produce safety and quality.

Objectives

  • Participants will be able to understand and connect the scientific background as the foundation to various federal food safety guidelines and regulations like HACCP, FSMA, GAPS, and the FDA Food Code.
  • Participants will recognize the importance of scientific research and its use in solving complex food safety challenges.
  • Participants will be able to better communicate to their kitchen staff that food safety regulations and required practices in the kitchen are supported by rigorous real-world scientific research.
  • Participants will recognize the purpose of the USDA Agricultural Research Service, and its role in providing solutions and answers to current food safety challenges.

SNA Key Area(s): 2000 - Operations
USDA Professional Standard Code(s): 2610 – HACCP, 2620 Food Safety-General, 2630 – Federal, State, and Local Food Safety Regulations, 2640 – Food Safety Culture
 

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Serving Up Science

The Center for Food Safety in Child Nutrition Programs is excited to once again host Serving Up Science: The Path to Safe Food in Schools. The in-person program will take place June 24-28, 2024 at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Participants are expected to arrive on Monday, June 24 and stay through 12:00 PM on Friday, June 28. If selected for this program, all travel costs to and from Manhattan, Kansas are the responsibility of the participant or their employer. Other program expenses including meals and lodging are provided during the participant's time in Manhattan.

Complete this Brief Application to be considered for a nomination to the Serving up Science training program by Wednesday, February 14, 2024. Notification of acceptance to attend the program will be completed no later than the week of February 19, 2024.

Updates from the DPI School Nutrition Team

 

Don’t Forget: 2024 School Breakfast Champion Nominations are Open!

Is there someone in your school who has worked tirelessly to ensure students start each day with a healthy meal? Then complete the Nomination Form to enter your School Breakfast Champion to be recognized across the state for the amazing work they do! Those selected and their nominators will each receive prize funds to recognize their contribution.

A champion is anyone who takes action to improve school meals programs and helps kids get the nutrition they need to fuel their learning. It can be from any part of the district or school — a student who facilitates a taste test, a principal who promotes the program, a superintendent who supports a new breakfast service model, a teacher who lends a hand, or a school nutrition staff member who goes above and beyond. We know it takes a village to ensure every student is ready to learn each morning.

Nominations will be accepted until February 16, 2024. Winners will be selected in time for National School Breakfast Week (March 4-8, 2024). Check out the Hunger Task Force Webpage for more information.

Other Updates and Information

 

Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition Webinar - Optimizing School Nutrition Kitchens: A Guide to Efficient Facility Design and Equipment Selection

Date: Thursday, February 1, 2024
Time: 2:00 PM CST

Embarking on the journey of designing a new school kitchen can be both thrilling and challenging. It represents a unique opportunity to ensure that the kitchen layout is not only efficient but that the selected equipment perfectly complements the available space, energy available and meets the demands of diverse menus. Join our webinar experts as they guide you through the best practices in planning team collaboration, facility design, and staying abreast of current trends when researching and selecting equipment for a new or remodeled school kitchen. Our webinar will also feature a sneak peak at an upcoming resource release, "Facility Design and Equipment Purchasing For School Nutrition Programs." This new resource will provide invaluable insights for streamlining your school's culinary infrastructure.

Objective:

  • Identify current industry trends in school nutrition programs, learning how to integrate innovative approaches into facility design and equipment selection.
  • Identify the key principles of efficient facility design in school nutrition programs, including how to create a layout that maximizes workflow and space utilization.
  • Discuss insights into the collaborative process of working with a team to ensure successful facility design and equipment selection.

SNA Key Area(s): 2 - Operations, 3 - Administration
USDA Professional Standard Code(s): 2400 Purchasing/Procurement, 3500 Facilities and Equipment Planning

 

Celebrate World Pulses Day!

February 10 is World Pulses Day and is an opportunity to raise public awareness of the nutritional and environmental benefits of growing and eating pulses. Pulses are a sub-group of legumes that are harvested for their dry seeds. Pulses have high protein content, are rich in soluble fiber, and are known to be used for intercropping and cover crops to help promote soil biodiversity. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations published A Guide to World Pulses Day 2024 to learn more about pulses and key actions you can take to celebrate.

Need some recipe inspiration? Here are some plant-forward recipes featuring pulses from Friends of the Earth's Climate-Friendly School Food Program. These recipes were created and implemented on menus in various school districts within California. Click the buttons below to view the recipes!

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Jill K. Underly, PhD, State Superintendent
125 S Webster Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-3390 • (800) 441-4563