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Wisconsin School Food Safety

Overview

utensils and shieldSchool agencies participating in the school nutrition programs agree to maintain necessary facilities for storing, preparing, and serving food and to comply with health standards required by applicable state agency and/or local laws and codes. There are four food safety requirements specified by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for school agencies that participate in the National School Lunch (NSLP)and/or School Breakfast (SBP) Programs.
 
  1. Request two food safety inspections from the state or local governmental agency responsible for food safety inspections each school year for each school participating in the school lunch or breakfast program.
  2. Publicly post the most recent food safety inspection and make a copy of the inspection report available upon request.
  3. Implement a food safety program based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, per USDA guidance.
  4. Report annually the number of food safety inspections conducted at each site to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). 
Policy and Guidance
Templates - Logs
Templates - Forms

templates and forms

Food Safety Plan

 

The Food Safety Plan template is designed for use by schools in Wisconsin to meet USDA regulations. Each production site and serving location claiming reimbursable lunches and/or breakfasts must have a plan. This template is consistent with the Wisconsin Food Code. It is recommended for schools that have not used the template, want to start over, or need significant improvements to their plans to meet USDA regulations.

USDA requires the plan to include documentation describing measures in place for effective monitoring, documenting corrective action was taken, and completing an annual plan review.

Changes may be made to the template, such as

  • removal of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that do not apply;
  • revision of the SOPs to be specific to the operation; and
  • addition of SOPs, when applicable, obtained from other sources or from the list of additional SOPs provided below (e.g., SOP for field trips) which must also be modified for use.

The plan is appropriate for satellites and vended sites with minimum food preparation. Make revisions, as instructed, to adapt the plan for the operation by checking the SOPs that apply and removing the non-applicable SOPS.

Forms

 

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

 
Refer to the Food Safety Plan template above for SOPs applicable to most school food service operations.
 
Food Safety Inspections

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A Memorandum of Understanding between DPI and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) was established to coordinate food safety inspections and assist schools in complying with Wisconsin Food Code.

 

Wisconsin Food Code 

 
Training

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Food Protection Manager Certification

Section 12-201.11 (A) (2) of the Wisconsin Food Code requires that at least one person per SFA hold a Food Protection Manager Certification. There are several certification exams accepted in the state of Wisconsin. For a list of accepted certification exams and a course directory, please visit the links below.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)

 

 

Foodborne Illness

 

Culture of Food Safety

 

Food Biosecurity

 

Emergency Preparedness

Videos

Additional Resources

 
Food Waste and Donations

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Food safety decisions surrounding food donations and food rescue are at the discretion of the sanitarian and/or local regulatory authority, subject to the Wisconsin Food Code as well as local regulations and ordinances. Additional decisions are at the discretion of the local education agency and may require consultation of legal counsel. For more information about other food waste reduction strategies, please visit the Food Waste section of the Menu Planning webpage.

 
Recalls

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Contacts

Kirsten Homstad, MS, RDN, CD
Nutrition Program Consultant
(608) 267-9132
Heidi Rolf, RDN, CD
Public Health Nutritionist
(608) 264-6700