A sample of child-care centers and family day-care homes in Michigan was used to identify what care providers need to know about safe food handling. Their primary concern was to become informed about what causes food to become unsafe and how to prevent foodborne illnesses. Providers preferred printed materials to tapes or workshops. (AA)

School food-service programs, endangered by rising costs, would benefit by taking the following steps: (1) improve food quality and presentation; (2) renovate the appearance of cafeterias; (3) enlist cafeteria personnel in reforms and include profit sharing; (4) update management procedures; and (5) cut bureaucracy. (MLF)

Effective financial management of school food service observes the following credos: (1) recognize that school food service is a business; (2) manage for productivity; (3) establish and maintain cost controls; (4) focus on expenses but not to the neglect of managing revenue; (5) balance near-term gain with long-term viability; and (6) reinvest…

A computerized menu-planning method, "Nutrient Standard Menu Planning" (NSMP), uses today's technology to create healthier menus. Field tested in 20 California school districts, the advantages of NSMP are cost effectiveness, increased flexibility, greater productivity, improved public relations, improved finances, and improved student…

American kids are fat and getting fatter. In the late 1970s, about 7 percent of U.S. children between the ages of six and 11 were considered obese, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. The percentage now is more than 13 percent, even higher among teens and in certain demographic groups. The reasons why are no surprise. Children…

Discusses some of the differences between margarine and butter, focusing on the chemical differences. Provides a brief historical overview of the development of both commodities. Describes the manufacture of butter and of margarine, and details the differences in chemical composition and nutritive contents. (TW)

Nine rural school districts in Michigan's Thumb/Saginaw Valley area formed a food service cooperative in 1982-83 that has sucessfully reduced purchasing costs without sacrificing quality. In the cooperative's second year of operation, membership has expanded to 16 systems with a dozen others interested in joining. (JBM)

Educators have a responsibility to learn as much as they can about the relationship between nutrition and the teaching/learning process. This article presents a model to help local school boards draw up their own policy statements. (Author/WD)

The composition of food in the 1980s is discussed as it relates to national nutrition goals and world problems. The data reviewed here related to food consumption, its calories, nutrients, and fat content. (SA)

Describes initiatives in New York State to meet student nutrition needs, including the Statewide Training Network for School Food Service Workers and the Nutrition Comes Alive in the Cafeteria program. Emphasizes the role of local boards of education in supporting better nutrition in school lunch and breakfast programs. (FMW)

For the purposes of identifying contaminants, of assessing risks, and of determining critical food processing control points, hazard analyses were conducted at two "bento" (oriental boxed meals) catering operations. Time and temperature abuses during the holding period, after cooking and prior to consumption, were found to be the primary…

Pending federal legislation would require that school meals meet federal dietary guidelines. However, food service directors and nutritionists see other obstacles to improving the nutritional content of school meals such as government red tape, costs, and difficulty in changing people's tastes. Hundreds of schools, usually in affluent communities,…

Young children receive higher doses of pesticides than any other age group. The younger a child is the more difficulty the body will have in coping with toxins in general. Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) do not adequately protect children. Evidence of harm from a pesticide often has to be overwhelmingly strong before anything is done about it.…

Presents information on standards for American child care and early education programs participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Topics discussed include meal plans, nutritional requirements, food preparation and food service, cultural diversity, food safety and sanitation, nutrition education, and emotional climate at mealtimes. (KB)

Communication activities about food evaluation were incorporated into food preparation courses. Oral reports replaced quizzes and an oral presentation replaced the final exam. A rubric was developed to help students evaluate ingredient functions, procedures, techniques, temperatures, and sensory evaluation. Oral report scores, self-evaluations,…