Articles in the September 2007 Issue

A Note from Sandra:

We look at the new year and wonder where did the last one go? Those 24 hours in a day go by so much more quickly for an adult than for a child because one day for a child is a huge part of its life, whereas for us adults, it is a much smaller part of our life. We need to treasure the minutes, hours, and days given to us and make the most of each. Bonnie Prudden said it: “You can’t turn back the clock but you can wind it up again”. We have wound up for the new year – make the most of it and enjoy the folks that eat in your cafeteria – no matter their age!

Are we getting a new meal pattern for school and child care programs? Last word is that the new meal pattern will be released as proposed regulation sometime this winter (‘07 - ’08). It will be open for an extended period of time, then the comments will have to be reviewed and the final regulations written. That means it will be 2009-2010 school year before the new ones are implemented. The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans are due out in 2010…while we don’t know for sure, we expect that it will increase fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes (such as dry beans, peas, and lentils), and increase whole grains. None of that is news as you have been hearing about that since the 2005 Dietary Guidelines were introduced. The technical parts about quantities and frequency will be the part we will be interested in – the proposed regulations will be passed on to you for comment as soon as we receive them.

What goals do you have set for the new school year? Are you trying at least one new food item per month? Are you reading labels to look for lower fat items & whole grain items? Are you talking to the students about what changes they would like to see? Wind that clock up for the new year and make the most of it!

Life works if you work at it!

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What is going on with wellness policies?

The wellness policy was written and schools took steps last year to start in implementation. Can you just put it on the shelf now and forget about it? The answer to that is short. “No”. If we are truly interested in the health and well-being of students, staff members and even on into the community, we should not even want to consider that. Keep working to implement the policy, make changes to the policy as needed, plan for the measurement and evaluation of what has been accomplished and toot your horn about what has been done – whether it is a small step or a leap. A set of six fact sheets and rack cards will be sent to authorized representatives in September. Schools may order a quantity of any or all of the rack cards. They are based on the brochures that we previously had available in very limited quantities, and cover the six frequently asked-about topics about wellness policies and changes in schools.

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Training for New Kitchen Managers

Those first months can be pretty overwhelming to a new kitchen manager who soon realizes their job responsibility includes a lot of paper work and reports and is more than just being sure all students are fed a proper meal. If you have a new manager who has not recently attended certification institute sponsored by CANS in June or did not have the opportunity to enroll in the New Manager’s pre-conference class at Fall Conference in August at Watertown, they will have another opportunity to get some training. A 1 ½ day class is being planned for presentation in Pierre on October 11 & l2. Who should consider attending this training? Anyone who is new to being a kitchen manager or the person responsible for completing required paperwork pertaining to the lunch and breakfast programs within the last year or two. The training will be free of charge, however a fee of $25, to cover materials, will be billed to the school for each person who registered for the class but did not show up for class. Be watching for further information which will be sent to your school. Contact Marlyce Micklos at 773-3610 for more information.

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Eligibility categories in school from last year to this year

Just in case you read this and think, “uh-oh, that was my question!” - you are not the only one that has asked the question!

What do we do with eligibility categories from one year to another? Students can be on their eligibility status from the prior year up to 30 days into the new school year. The school is required to carry them on their prior year eligibility category, but so far, it is up to the school about how far into the new year that goes, as long as it does not exceed the 30 days. Most do not go to the maximum 30 days - they set a date at the end of August or September. This allows you to change your system (electronic or paper) at the change of billing date for those that did not submit a new application. Submission and eligibility determination of a new application takes precedence over the prior year’s eligibility status.

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Unique situations in determining eligibility

Several unique situations have come up in determining eligibility. With split families, different income situations, newly formed families, and families sharing homes there gets to be a number of different situations. Some are addressed in the Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual (2001), but some are not. Please feel free to call Child & Adult Nutrition Services when the situation is unique and we can either provide guidance or refer it to our regional office.

Exchanges students are a part of the family they are living with and that family’s income and family size (including the exchange student) are to be considered in making the eligibility determination.

Children living with other families or other relatives are considered a part of the family they are living with and that family’s income and family size (including the student) are to be considered to make the eligibility determination.

Foster children are a family of one and only count the income they receive in hand plus any money from trusts or jobs. Foster children are placed in the household by the court and the court retains responsibility for their welfare.

Families sharing homes have to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes more than one family will live in a home or sometimes a parent and child or children will live in a home with another adult. In order to determine what the family size and income to consider, the school personnel will need to obtain additional information. If the families are prorating the expenses, they may be considered as separate households. If one is supporting the other, then the entire household and its income is to be considered.

Seasonal employee’s income should be annualized. For example, many school employees work less than a full year. Their income should be annualized if it has not been already by the District. The same applies to road construction crews and other seasonal employees.

Please contact Child & Adult Nutrition Services staff members as the questions arise.

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New Numbered Memo for Verification Process

National School Lunch Memo # 51.3 is ready to be mailed out and is available on the CANS website at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/nslp/formsdocs.asp.  This memo is to replace NSLP #51.2 . Please destroy the old #51.2 memo so there are no mix ups which leads to confusion for everyone. Be sure to read the #51.3 memo guidance carefully as there are some important changes to be observed. The 742SD reporting form which is due to CANS by February 1st or earlier also has a few changes. It will be easily distinguished from previous forms as it will include some sections printed in colored font.

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South Dakota Kinship Care Program

Child & Adult Nutrition Services (CANS) has learned about a rather new program call the SD Kinship Care Program that has raised some questions when trying to make proper decisions for determining free or reduced meal benefits.

The SD Kinship Program is similar to foster care except social services tries to place the child with a grandparent or suitable relative instead of a non-relative as is the case of foster parents. In the foster care program the child is the legal responsibility of the welfare agency or court system. The foster parents have to meet certain licensing standards and training requirements to be eligible to receive a monthly foster care payment.

In the Kinship Care program there is no separate licensing program but the grandparent/relative has to meet the same licensing standards and training requirements as foster care parents. Even though the child has been placed with the grandparent/relative they are still in the custody of the department of social services and would therefore be on an ‘application of one’ like is required of each foster child. The Department of Social Services encourages the grandparent/relative to apply for TANF benefits to help with the expenses of taking care of the child. Unlike the foster care program the grandparent/relative in the Kinship Care program does not receive a monthly stipend from the department of social services. If or when the grandparent/relative applies for guardianship of the child, and is awarded guardianship, the child then becomes a member of the grandparent/relative’s household.

When a grandparent says they are taking care of their grandchild, it would be important to ask more questions to confirm whether they have guardianship of the child or whether they are participating in the Kinship Care Program. In summary, if they have legal guardianship the child is considered a part of the grandparent or relative’s household. The grandparent/relative would need to complete Part 1A, Part 3, and Part 4 of the application form for free and reduced price meals. If they do not have legal custody of the child, and the child is part of the Kinship Care Program, then the grandparent/relative would complete Part 1, Part 2 (foster child), and Part 4 of the application form for free and reduced price meals.

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HELP! with meeting the Employee Training Requirement 

Part of the requirement of Developing a Food Safety Program is that employees must receive ongoing training in areas that support your food safety program. The regulations do NOT specify the topics that must be covered…only that employees are receiving training. 

Training can be received in many ways:

  • Get your employees involved with SNA of SD. Chapter meetings are not only a great way to network with other foodservice professionals in the area, they also provide some type of educational program during the meeting which can be used to meet the employee training requirement.

  • If you have school in-services with your staff, make sure you provide some type of educational component to that meeting.

  • Attending Certification Institute or Fall Conference are all ways that employees can receive training.

Beginning with this edition of the nutrition bulletin, a new topic will be presented monthly that can be used to meet the employee training requirement.

This month’s topic: Handwashing

We have included the following links for you:

  • Employee Food Safety Training Record. Print off this document so you can record the topic and the employees who received training. This particular training record will need to be printed off every time you provide training. This is ONLY a sample training record…you are welcome to develop your own.

  • A handout on Handwashing is provided in the link below. On the second page of the handout are some questions that you can ask employees to answer on their own or as a group. You do NOT have to test your employees on the information they receive. This particular handout does have that option. 

  • Several links are also posted for Handwashing posters that you may want to print off and place in your kitchen. It might be a good idea to laminate them.

Links for Handwashing Information:

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Food Safety Program Updates

After reviewing the food safety program information collected during the 2006-07 CREs, it is apparent that many of you are working on developing your food safety program. When writing your SOPs make sure you are replacing the wording under the VERIFICATION AND RECORD KEEPING section to say that you are keeping all records for three years plus the current year. The sample SOPs say to keep records for a minimum of 1 year—that does not hold true in South Dakota.

A question has also been asked multiple times about keeping a Handwashing log. You DO NOT have to keep a Handwashing log. Employees should monitor each other to make sure everyone is washing their hands at appropriate times. Logs that DO NEED to be kept are:

  • Food temperatures at serving time (hot and cold potentially hazardous foods)

  • Refrigerator/Freezer/Dry Storage temperatures

  •  Thermometer Calibration Log (weekly or if dropped)

  • Dish machine temperatures (wash & rinse temperatures) This only applies to SFAs who have automatic dish machines. 

  • Receiving temperatures—temperatures can be recorded on your invoices. Temperatures should be recorded as often as you stated in your Receiving Deliveries SOP.

Many of you have asked what SOPs the inspectors will be checking for this year during their twice annual kitchen inspections. It is important to remember that SFAs are responsible to have ALL SOPs that apply to your facility done as part of your food safety program—even though the inspectors are only checking for specific SOPs. In addition to the three SOPs inspectors checked for last year (Washing Hands, Personal Hygiene, and Cooking Potentially Hazardous Foods), three more SOPs will be reviewed this year. They are:

  • Using Suitable Utensils When Handling Ready-to-Eat Foods

  • Using and Calibrating Thermometers

  • Transporting Food to Remote Sites (Satellite Kitchens)

The last SOP, Transporting Food to Remote Sites (Satellite Kitchens), only applies to SFAs who satellite food to other sites. If your SFA does not do this, you DO NOT need to have this SOP in your food safety program.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact our office.

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National School Lunch Week

Think RED, WHITE, & BLUE!! This year’s National School Lunch Week is once again going to be an election campaign. The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is going to ask students to literally “Vote for School Lunch”. SNA will be promoting the 5 candidates to students, parents and the media, and helping them to understand the benefits of eating lunch on the National School Lunch Program. The official voting period is from August 1 until the end of National School Lunch Week on October 19. The winner will be announced on Monday, October 22, 2007.

Child & Adult Nutrition Services (CANS) prepared a promotional NSLW booklet designed to help create enthusiasm for promoting awareness of National School Lunch Week and good nutrition. The booklet was distributed to attendees at the Fall Conference held in August at Watertown. For those that were not at the fall conference the promotional booklet was mailed to the school food service directors. 

‘Vote for School Lunch’ is a chance for the nation’s students to select their favorite school lunch entree from a list of 5 choices that have been transformed into ‘candidates’ and will be campaigning for votes across the country. The candidates are, Biff Burger, Pippa Potato, Jesse Wrap, Yumi Rice Bowl, and Patty Mac ‘N’ Cheese.

Vote for School Lunch 2007 also includes a ‘Design a Candidate’ contest,challenging students to design and name their own candidates, with 3 national winners having their designs professionally created to run in our 2008 campaign. The three designs judged to be the nation’s best will be recreated professionally, and will compete in the 2008 elections, running against Pete Pizza, as well as the eventual winner of the 2007 Vote for School Lunch race. For contest rules go to the following website:

http://docs.schoolnutrition.org/meetingsandevents/nslw2007/design.asp

CANS strongly encourages all schools to become involved with the 2007 National School Lunch Week promotion. Wouldn’t it be exciting to have one of the 2008 campaign candidates created from a South Dakota entry!

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Holds and Recalls: The importance of Tracking Food

Holds and Recalls on food serve a very valuable purpose. They remove products from customers that may have quality problems or that may cause harm to people. It is critical to be able to track the food within our own facility so that a suspect food can quickly be located. Think of traceability as a chain. Each piece of information must be intact so we can link the product from its original source to you, the recipient. 

The most important pieces of information for identifying specific commodity products are the Contract and delivery order numbers found on the boxes or case packaging. These numbers are not found on individual units within a case. It is important to have contract numbers and pack dates if you wish to file a complaint on a product. If you remove product from the original case, the identity of the product can be lost. 

To be better prepared for a hold or recall or to file a complaint, it is suggested that when you remove products from the original packaging, you use some method for maintaining identifying numbers. This could be as simple as writing the contract and delivery order numbers on a blank label and sticking it on one of the product units. Just imagine for a moment the worst case:  that a product you received is recalled and it is suspected of being contaminated with a deadly substance. This product needs to be removed immediately from the food supply. Could you locate that product quickly and easily in your facility?

Most recalls in the NSLP are not the result of imminent food safety dangers. But, we should always be prepared for any emergency situation. At the very least, being able to track your products allows you to identify and locate them quickly and promotes timely, accurate replacement and/or reimbursement should a hold or recall occur. 

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Whole Wheat White Wheat Flour

Our office has received questions asking what kind of whole wheat white wheat flour was used in the baking class and baking products at Certification Institute this year.

There are a number of whole wheat white wheat flour products on the market; however, the milling process does make a difference in the outcome of the product. Some of the flour is much coarser than others. The flour used for the baking products at Certification Institute is much finer flour than some of the other products available. The baking class used a product which is available at: www.farmerdirectfoods.com. Once you get to the website, click on “Wheat Flour” from the choices available on the left hand side of the page. Once you are directed to the new page, scroll down until you come to: Naturals’ Wheat Whole Wheat White Wheat Flour. A 50# bag costs $12.50. Shipping charges are over $22.00 a bag. Schools may want to take the opportunity to look at joining with other schools around you and buying in larger quantities in hopes of reducing costs. Perhaps at your next chapter meeting you could see if anyone is interested in purchasing flour with you. Our office will keep you updated if we hear of other opportunities to purchase whole wheat white wheat flour.

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Love your Veggies Grant

 

 

 

Want to get your hands on some cold hard cash to help your school promote fruits and vegetables?  An elementary school in each state will be awarded a 10,000 grant, which means that a South Dakota School is guaranteed 10,000….unless no schools in South Dakota apply!!  So grab your pen, start jotting down information and start putting together your application—once you have your information all figured out, type it into a word document and paste it into the various sections of the grant application.

It could be your school that is awarded the money and is able to do exciting things to get students excited about fruits and vegetables.  For more information about the grant and to complete the online application form, visit the website below.

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Professional Development

Nutrition Update in Oxford, Mississippi

The National Food Service Management Institute is offering a 2 day seminar, November 7-8, 2007 in Oxford, Mississippi. Nationally recognized experts will give an update on current nutrition knowledge and how that impacts child nutrition programs. Cost of the seminar is $100.00. You will need to arrange for your own lodging, travel, and meals. For more information visit http://www.nfsmi.org/Education/Workshops.html#update

NutriKids Training

NutriKids will be conducting training in Pierre on Thursday & Friday, September 27 & 28, 2007. Go to www.Nutrikids.com for more information and to register. If you have just purchased NutriKids and are wondering where to start or if you have been using it and need a refresher, now is the time to attend since it is being held in our state.

Healthy Cuisine for Kids Seminars to be offered in October 2007

The National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI), located at the University of Mississippi, will offer three Healthy Cuisine for Kids Seminars in October 2007. The Healthy Cuisine for Kids Seminars will be conducted in conjunction with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). The dates and locations of these upcoming seminars are listed below:

Healthy Cuisine for Kids Seminar

  • Dates: Tuesday, October 2, 2007 – Friday, October 5, 2007

  • Sponsor: Culinary Institute of America

    • 1946 Campus Drive

    • Hyde Park, NY

  • Registration Deadline: September 10, 2007

Healthy Cuisine for Kids Seminar

  • Dates: Tuesday, October 9, 2007 – Friday, October 12, 2007

  • Sponsor: Culinary Institute of America Greystone Campus

    • 2555 Main Street

    • St. Helena, CA

  • Registration Deadline: September 18, 2007

Healthy Cuisine for Kids Seminar

  • Dates: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 – Friday, November 2, 2007

  • Sponsor: The Washburne Culinary Institute

    • 7059 South Southshore Drive (Southshore Cultural Center)

    • Chicago, IL

  • Registration Deadline: September 25, 2007

For additional seminar and registration information, visit the NFSMI website at http://www.nfsmi.org/education/workshops.html#cuisine

Cooks for Kids

The National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI) is producing a series of 30-minute broadcasts called Cooks for Kids.  Each segment focuses on healthy cooking techniques for schools, restaurants and at home.  The segments will be broadcast by satellite the second Thursday of each month from September through May.  If your school or agency has a satellite, you may watch the videos live at the scheduled time.   Most schools in South Dakota do not have satellite, so an alternate way to watch the video is to watch it on the NFSMI website after it has been broadcast.  The video will be put on the website to watch at your convenience.  Each episode will teach professional culinary skills and feature a school that is using the techniques to prepare nutritious, attractive, and flavorful food for students.  

For more information, please visit NFSMI at http://www.nfsmi.org/Education/Satellite/CFK/2007_09_13.html

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MyPyramid Corner:  What is up with those vegetarian students?

Image of PyramidRecently a parent in our state mentioned that her daughter had become a vegetarian after hearing another student give a speech on the topic at school. While most of us don’t remember ever knowing someone who was a vegetarian while we were in school or even maybe for most of our lives, it is becoming more common to run into vegetarians in South Dakota and restaurants are serving more vegetarian items. 

You may be wondering why anyone would stop eating meat, dairy, or eggs when they are so darn tasty and it is so much a part of our history and culture. Actually, there are lots of reasons that people become vegetarians. Health purposes, to save money, for religious reasons (such as Seventh Day Adventists and Hindus), because of taste preferences, and not wanting to cause suffering to the animals are just some of the reasons.

You might also be wondering if a vegetarian diet is healthy. The answer is yes, as long as vegetarians eat the variety of foods needed to get vitamins, minerals, and protein. Many foods are now fortified with vitamins and minerals including orange juice, breakfast cereals, rice and soy milk, as well as even a brand of vegetable juice.  

While schools are not required to serve foods that meet the needs of vegetarians consider incorporating good protein sources such as soybeans, black beans, kidney beans, or any other type of dried bean to a salad bar at a very low cost to your program. Hopefully other students would also eat some of the dried beans since that is a food that everyone should eat more of to help prevent cancer and manage weight. Also, offering students the chance to build their own taco, pasta, potato or burrito gives them a chance to leave off meat and cheese, put on additional vegetables, and add refried beans or other plant protein sources. Minestrone soup and 3 bean salad are additional examples of foods that vegan students could eat that have protein in them.

If you have vegetarian students at your school, it would be good to talk to them to find out what foods they would eat if you offered it as part of a reimbursable meal, a la carte or in the vending machine. This way you aren’t preparing something that will go to waste or purchasing something that students don’t like.      

Click here to learn more about vegetarians and what the MyPyramid has to say about vegetarian diets, please visit the following website: 

The American Dietetic Association position statement from 2003 says that vegetarian diets can be healthy and prevent disease.  

Also, a human interest story was just on ABC News called  “Kids: The New Vegetarians” 

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Team Up

Resource Corner:  Team Up at Home

Click here to view a new resource from Team Nutrition. The 36 page booklet called Team Up at Home contains reproducible nutrition education pages that can be used at home or at school. It is designed for parents to use with their school-aged children. 

To order the booklet, visit http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/teamupbooklet.html.

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On the Move  

Child and Adult Nutrition Services will be moving to new location in October for one to two years. This is temporary while buildings are remodeled and other space arrangements are made. Continue to send mail via postal service to 800 Governors Drive. Our fax and phone numbers as well as email addresses will be the same. The only thing that will change will be if you are coming to see us personally and the delivery address for packages mailed through a delivery service such as Speedee, FedEx, or UPS. In that case, if you are sending a package after October 1, please call to see which address to use. The October bulletin will provide an update on the moving date and the new address.

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Confetti Bean Salsa

Looking for a tasty recipe that not only increases the amount of beans & legumes you are serving BUT is something the kids will LOVE? Try this!

  • Scoop salsa with raw veggies or baked tortilla chips – or spoon it over rice!

  • 1 can (15 oz) red or black beans

  • 1 can (11 oz) corn

  • 1 cup salsa

  1. Drain and rinse the beans.

  2. Drain the corn.

  3. Combine beans, corn, and salsa in a medium size bowl. Mix

Makes 3 cups salsa or 6 (1/2 cup) servings.

More Ideas:  Like it hot? Add a few drops of hot sauce or chopped green chiles. Try chopped cilantro, parsley, or green pepper in your salsa, too.

Your turn: Check out the grocery shelves for other canned beans. You’ll see many types to try. Experiment with different ones to enjoy new flavors and have several ways to make Confetti Bean Salsa.

Text Box: Wipe Them Off! Clean the lids of canned foods before you open them. That keeps debris from getting into your food.  

Nutrition Factss

  • Serving Size 1 serving (108g)

  • Servings Per Recipe 6

Amount Per Serving: Calories 110; total fat 1 g; saturated fat 0; cholesterol 0; sodium 110mg; total carbohydrates 22g; dietary fiber 6g; sugars 1g; protein 6g; vitamin A 4%; vitamin C 8%; calcium 2%; iron 8%.

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Fruit & Veggie Healthy Challengee

Ready for another Healthy Challenge? The Fruits & Veggies – More Matters Healthy Challenge will be held during the month of September, National Fruit and Vegetable Month. Diets high in fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of South Dakota’s three leading causes of death – heart disease, cancer, and stroke. This is a particularly good time of year to increase your fruit and vegetable intake as so many items are locally produced this time of year. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend most adults eat 2-2.5 cups of fruit and 2.5-4 cups of vegetables per day. Participants who sign up will receive a free vegetable peeler. Ten randomly selected participants will receive a basket of fruit and veggie items at the end of the challenge. The friendly competition starts September 1 and sign-up begins now. For more information and to sign-up, go to www.healthysd.gov

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Schools Receive Healthy School Awardss

Congratulations to Eureka Elementary School, Spearfish Middle School, Eureka High School, and Colman-Egan School District selected as winners of Governor Rounds’ Healthy School Awards. Each will receive $5,000.

Winning schools were chosen for their efforts in areas such as health education, physical education, family and community involvement, school based nutrition programs, health services, healthy school environment, and counseling services.

Many of this year’s winners have instituted walking programs at their schools. Spearfish Middle School students walked the distance to Boston and celebrated with a tea party at the end of their journey. Eureka High School purchased a vending machine that offers only healthy snacks, and the school removed all pop from its vending machines.

The Governor’s Healthy School Awards provide recognition for leadership in the area of school health. Winners are chosen at four levels: elementary school, middle school/junior high, high school, and school district. In addition to the cash prize, winners receive a banner to display at their schools.

Brand New Convection Oven Still in Box C

  • Model: SLES/10SC4QW

  • Make: SouthBend

  • S/N 05C91430

  • Approximate out side  dimensions: 39” X 55” (with legs)

  • Oven Interior: width 29”  depth 22.5”  height 20”

  • Rack Clearance: width 28.2” depth 22”

  • Buyer pick up is preferred  from 2307 E. Capitol, Pierre , South Dakota, however shipping along with a pallet can be negotiated. Weight 620 lbs. Book for installation with oven

  • Contact: Mary Kirk or Karla Baus at 605-224-6603

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