Best wishes for a healthy and happy
2004. Keep taking those steps to health. It’s a tough battle every day, but
we can do it if we try!
Legislation for the
reauthorization of child nutrition programs will be debated (and debated and
debated) in the spring. The programs are now operating under a 6-month
continuing resolution. Bills introduced that will become part of the debates
include eliminating reduced-price category by moving it into the free
category; rules on a la carte and/or vending sales (when items can be sold;
further restriction on what can be sold); increasing nutrition quality of
meals; extra reimbursement for schools that have a nutrition plan; reducing
red tape in SFSP and lower income requirements; expand CACFP by lowering
income requirements; raising administration funding; expand a pilot dinner
program for emergency shelters, close the loopholes on commodity assistance,
incentives for programs that offer more fruits and vegetables. Members of the
American School Food Association can track information at asfsa.org at the
Legislation tab. Information is also available at
http://frac.org/ at the Child Nutrition Program Reauthorization Center
box. These discussions promise to make it an exciting year with the focus on
nutrition, obesity, children’s health, and commercialization in schools.
Procurement is an area
receiving increased attention. One way to gain additional information is to
watch a teleconference provided by the National Food Service Management
Institute on January 21. Additional information is provided in an article in
the Bulletin and also is available on their website at
http://www.nfsmi.org/ under Educational Opportunities.
Plans for Child Nutrition Program
Certification Institute 2004 are underway. Mark your calendars now for June
20 – 25 for the Institute to be held on the Augustana College campus.
The sweetest music ever heard on a
cold morning…is a car starting! Hope your car engine and your personal engine
both start quickly and run smoothly.
