School Breakfast Program
Providing School Meals for Students Observing Ramadan
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is now approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to offer waivers to allow school food authorities (SFAs) to serve non-congregate meals to students who celebrate Ramadan. During Ramadan, students fast or refrain from eating during typical daylight hours, including when school breakfast and/or lunch is served. These waivers allow SFAs to provide students who attend school and are fasting during Ramadan with non-congregate breakfast and lunch meals to consume after daylight hours.
These waivers may only be used:
Wayne Farms, LLC, Recalls RTE Chicken Products
On December 7, 2023, Wayne Farms, LLC, of Decatur, Alabama, recalled approximately 1,377 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken breast products that may be undercooked. This recall does
CDC Food Safety Alert: Cantaloupes
For your awareness, a CDC food safety alert regarding an outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to cantaloupes has been updated. Seven children attended childcare centers before they got sick. Children under 5 can get very sick from Salmonella.
Crediting Traditional Indigenous Foods
FNS is pleased to release TA 01-2024: Crediting Traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs. This memorandum is now available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/crediting-traditional-indigenous-foods and supersedes TA 01-2015: Child Nutrition Programs and Traditional Foods.
Allowable Flexibilities for School Meal Programs Experiencing Milk Supply Shortages
Due to the unexpected nationwide shortage of paper milk cartons, many School Food Authorities (SFAs) are not able to obtain milk in half pints for their school meals programs. Although SFAs are expected to meet the fluid milk requirements to the greatest extent possible, supply chain disruptions, including disruptions that limit milk variety or affect serving size, are considered a temporary emergency condition. In these instances, SFAs are allowed to serve and claim meals during the emergency period by:
USDA: Allowable Flexibilities for Child Nutrition Programs Experiencing Milk Supply Shortages
Initial Implementation: Child Nutrition Program Integrity Final Rule
On August 23, 2023, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the Child Nutrition Program Integrity final rule. This final rule aims to help USDA and state administering agencies reduce program errors of all types, resulting in more efficient operations and improved compliance with program requirements.
USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Final Rule
USDA has released the Final Rule: Child Nutrition Programs - CEP Increasing Options for Schools. This final rule amends the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) regulations by lowering the minimum identified student percentage (ISP) from 40 percent to 25 percent.
Waiver Request Notification - CEP
The New York State Education Department has requested the following waivers from annual Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) deadlines from the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services (FNS):
Big Apple Crunch: October 26, 2023
In partnership with the FarmOn! Foundation, the New York State Education Department (SED) Child Nutrition Program Office invites schools to take part in the Big Apple Crunch on October 26, 2023.
The Big Apple Crunch takes place in October of each year, inviting New Yorkers to take a bite out of an apple grown in New York to celebrate the apple harvest and to inspire us all to Eat Local.
Join SED in fostering farm-to-school connections by participating in your own Big Apple Crunch!
