Explains standards laid out in Federal Circular A-120 to ensure accountability, uniformity of standards, legal compliance, and efficiency in school food service procurement. Includes bidding and contract award procedures, contract compliance considerations, and cost-cutting methods. (MCG)

National School Lunch officials promise to continue expending their programs on the basis of number of needy children, not necessarily needy schools. (Author)

A food-safe school takes the steps to minimize the risk of foodborne illness throughout the school's environment and has procedures in place to identify and manage outbreaks if they occur. This booklet introduces the Food-Safe Schools Action Guide, which helps schools identify gaps in food safety and develop an action plan for becoming food-safe.…

Guidelines for implementing and operating a school breakfast program in New York are provided in this document. Following an introduction that explains the need for school breakfast programs, sections describe program history, meal pattern requirements, eligible participants, and available state and local financial assistance. Program requirements…

A revolutionary, fast-food school lunch program has raised participation by 202 percent, created a half-million dollar surplus in the school food service account, and meets the federal school lunch program requirement. (Author/MLF)

A procedures handbook specifically developed for school food service employees assures proper interpretation and communication of policy items and regulations. Figures illustrate the process, development, and suggested content of a school food service handbook. (MLF)

This handbook details requirements for family day care homes in Oklahoma for providing child nutrition through the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The handbook includes contact information for state consultants. The basic responsibilities for sponsors of family day care home child nutrition programs are outlined, and the sponsoring organization…

A report, written by 54 specialists in management practices, recommends hundreds of ways districts can trim excess fat from more than 20 areas of school operation. This article discusses 13 of them. (Author)

A statewide food-purchasing cooperative in Mississippi offers cost savings, better service, and quality improvement. Explains 15 steps to forming a purchasing cooperative. (MLF)

This manual contains information on federal policy regarding meal-pattern requirements for school-nutrition programs. It also describes the Offer Versus Serve (OVS) provision, which allows students to decline either one or two food items they do not intend to eat in order to reduce food waste. The manual explains food components, gives examples of…

In 1994, Congress passed the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act, requiring that Child Nutrition Programs comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and meet nutrient standards. In 1995, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued new regulations to define how the Dietary Guidelines would be applied to school meals, called the…

This congressional hearing on the school lunch program dealt with the question of what would happen in those school districts that wanted to exercise an option to either take cash in lieu of commodities from the Department of Agriculture, or commodity letters of credit. Prepared statements are presented from Gene Miller, school food service…

The training manual is designed as a self-study package that will enable Mess Management Specialists Third and Second Class to fulfill the requirements of their rating and qualify for future advancement. Among these requirements are the abilities to perform the following food preparation, food service, and hotel management duties, which are in the…

Discussion of dining problems on urban campuses. (IR)