From Sandra’s Desk:

A busy and exciting time for all!

March is the time to highlight your programs and make the things that you do just shine!  Nutrition Month.  Child Care Week and School Breakfast Week also occurs in March.  Send stories/news tips to your local paper (school and newspaper), radio station, TV station.  Post on the agency's website.  Invite the media to come in to visit.  Tell about the nutrition guidelines, the wellness policies, what your school or childcare is doing.  You've heard the expression "Strike while the iron is hot".  Health topics are a big issue now so it is a good time to toot your horn about the changes that are being made!  I've heard about so many positive steps that are being taken - time to highlight those.  Physical activity goes hand in hand with good nutrition so remember to highlight that side of the issue, too.

Program reviews have been coming in thick and fast as the inspectors have been quite busy. Reports are that many of them are very good - we appreciate the work that you are doing and all of your efforts to follow the many program rules. 

Health Inspections are being completed in schools.  This new process is a challenge for the inspectors as well as the food service employees but again, the reports are very good.  If there was a finding on the report, it is suggested that you post the corrective action that was taken along side the report.  So far our report shows 264 inspections completed and the average score is 95!  The scores range from 74 - 100.  Keep up the good work!

Training and Technical Assistance continues through DDN, on-site visits, workshops, and certification institute.  Your participation in those keeps you up to date so that you know the requirements, know what you are doing right, know what needs to be improved, and can plan to keep the good things going and get the changes made.  Knowledge is power.

We have two ends with a common link;

With one we sit, with one we think.

Success depends on what we use

Heads we win; tails we lose.

Best Practices Award Nominations Due April 3

Just a reminder that nominations for Best Practices Awards must be submitted on an official nomination form and received in the CANS office by 5:00 p.m. April 3, 2006.  Child and Adult Nutrition Services (CANS) encourages nominations from local communities, school boards, school food authorities, superintendents, business managers, school food service directors, and school food service inspectors from the South Dakota Department of Commerce and Regulations.  There is no limit to the number of nominations CANS may submit to USDA for each category; however, nominations will be screened by CANS to be sure nominations come from schools and SFAs that have an “overall” well-administered program.

Go to the CANS website at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/index.asp for more information and the official nomination form.  If further information is needed, contact Marlyce Micklos, Child Nutrition Program Specialist, Department of Education, 800 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD  57501, (605)773-3610.

Developing a Food Safety Program Update

The PowerPoint slides that were used during the Feb. 21, 2006 DDN Food Safety Update session is now available on the CANS website.  You are welcome to use these slides if you are doing employee training.  Also, the most frequently asked questions and answers to developing a food safety program will be available after March 6, 2006 on our CANS website. As you are developing/implementing your food safety program, use this question/answer guide as a quick reference to see if the question you have is covered in this guide.  As always, if you have a question or you need additional help,  please contact our office at 773-3413 or Janelle at 280-4278.

Upcoming training for Food Safety

DDN sessions on food safety will be held on March 13th and April 10th from 3:15 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Central Time, 2:15 p.m. -4:00 p.m. Mountain Time. 

March 13, 2006 - Update on Food Safety - Thermometers

This session will focus on thermometers…with the recent requirement of a written food safety plan, taking and recording temperatures is now not only a best practice but is a requirement in your foodservice department. There are many different types of thermometers for any number of applications. What temperature logs are needed in a foodservice operation? Step by step instruction on how to properly calibrate a thermometer will be taught. We will also discuss proper cooling of leftovers.  

April 10, 2006 - Update on Food Safety - 2005 Food Code/Foodborne Illness

This session will focus on the new 2005 Food Code… A number of changes were made in the most recent update of the food code.  Joan Hegerfeld, Food Safety Specialist with SDSU Cooperative Extension Service will provide information from the 2005 Food Code on the “sick employee”.  We will also cover some of the most prevalent foodborne illnesses in South Dakota and how we can make sure we are protecting our customers from them.  

The following sites will be broadcasting the DDN training: 

Another 5-10 sites may be added after March 1, 2006.  Schools will be notified by mail if their site is accepted as a training site.

There is no need to pre-register.  If you have questions, please contact Janelle Peterson at 280-4278 or janelle.peterson@state.sd.us.

Building for the Future with the CACFP

Upcoming Training Events –

“Basic Training in the CACFP” Workshop

April 18, 2006 – State Library – 800 Governors Drive

This workshop is designed specifically for new employees working with the Child and Adult Care Food Program.  For more information please contact Melissa Halling at (605) 773-3566 or by email at melissa.halling@state.sd.us.

“CACFP Plus!” Workshops

These workshops are designed for veteran staff that have a solid understanding of Program requirements.  The workshops will begin with a summary of the basics followed by training in the areas of fresh fruits and vegetables, safety and sanitation in the kitchen, and dealing with difficult people and situations in the workplace.  For more information please contact Melissa Halling at (605) 773-3566 or by email at melissa.halling@state.sd.us.

Certification Institute 2006:

Watch your mailboxes!

Information about Certification Institute will be mailed in the first part of March including instructions for how to register.  Registration this year will be online.  Co-coordinators, Janelle Peterson and Amy Richards are hard at work planning for fun and exciting things this year.  Stay tuned for more information! 

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South Dakota Fruit and Vegetable Challenge

The South Dakota Department of Health is inviting South Dakotans to participate in a new Healthy Challenge to encourage them to eat more fruits and vegetables.  The competition is web-based and part of the www.Healthysd.gov website.  Actual competition is March 1- 31.   People can compete as individuals or challenge friends or co-workers to compete as teams. 

Diets high in fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke, the three leading causes of death in South Dakota.  This friendly competition promotes a healthier diet.  To encourage people to prepare more fruits and vegetables, the Department of Health will provide a limited number of cutting mats to teams that sign up for the challenge.  The cutting mats are free and will be distributed on a first registered, first served basis.  At the close of the competition, a selection of individuals completing the challenge will be randomly chosen to receive baskets of produce donated by South Dakota grocers.

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend most adults eat 2 - 2.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 - 4 cups of vegetables per day. However, according to the state’s latest data, only 19% of South Dakota adults eat the minimum five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, or about 2.5 cups total.

March is National Nutrition Month® and a great time to start eating healthier.  Go to www.healthysd.gov and click on 5 A Day Challenge to sign up.  Get your team together today!

Layoff Notification

The impending closure and layoff at the Dakota Pork plant is a reminder of how circumstances can change quickly for families.  If families in your school or center are affected by this layoff, or layoffs such as this, they can apply for free/reduced price meals.  The numbered memo on Layoff Notification NSLP 66, CACFP 55, CACFPDCH 43 and SMP 5 serves as a reminder of what can/should be done.  Some families will have new jobs but not all of them.

Another change to our processes in School Lunch is that if a family gets laid off by this closure or other closures and is approved for free meals, that eligibility is good for the rest of the year.  That does not apply to Child Care – families must still notify the center if their income changes by $50 per year.

Revised School Meal Recipes 

The recipes from the 1988 Quantity Recipes for School Food Service and the 1995 Tool Kit for Healthy School Meals were revised using updated yields from the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs and using the 2005 Food Code for the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points.  The revised recipes were combined into one source and in April 2005, the USDA Recipes for Child Nutrition Programs – Schools were posted at the National Food Service Management Institute’s (NFSMI) website.  The April 2005 version supersedes all other versions of school recipes.

Beginning July 1, 2006, the revised recipes contained in the USDA Recipes for Child Nutrition Programs – Schools, currently posted at the NFSMI websites, should be the only USDA recipes used for meeting school meal requirements for Federal reimbursement.  These recipes are currently available online at:

 

As of June 30, 2006, the following USDA recipes should no longer be used for meeting school meal requirements for Federal reimbursement:

 

The recipe sources listed above are based on outdated food yields and food code recommendations.  A majority of the recipes no longer provide the quantity of food for crediting or nutrient values indicated and have outdated critical control points, and therefore, should not be used.  To avoid using the wrong recipe version, schools and school food authorities should discard obsolete recipes.

Schools will need to be aware that some of the software used by schools for nutrient analysis may not currently contain the correct version of the recipes.  While all USDA approved software programs already include the updated nutrient values in their inclusion of CN database release 9, some software companies had previously and voluntarily included complete recipes with ingredients in their software.  However, the ingredient recipes in these additions to the software may not be the revised recipes and should not be used unless they are verified to be the revised version.  Schools should also note that USDA does not review the accuracy of voluntarily added software features, therefore, if schools choose to use ingredient recipes included in software programs they are using them at their own risk.

To assist schools with the implementation of the revised recipes, Team Nutrition plans to distribute a recipe publication in late spring 2006.  Schools that are already using the revised (April 2005) recipes are encouraged to continue using them.  Schools that are not currently using the revised recipes are encouraged to begin using them as soon as possible, but no later than July 1, 2006.

Kids in the Kitchen –

From What’s Cookin’ II; as published in Physical Activities and Healthy Snacks for Young Children; Team Nutrition Iowa;

Breadsticks

Homemade bread sticks are easy to make.  Thaw according to package directions 1 pound loaf of frozen bread dough (plain or whole-wheat).  Cut dough into 16 equal pieces and stretch each piece into a 6” rope.  Brush bread ropes with egg substitute, water, or milk.  Place on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with any of the variations listed below.  Allow bread sticks to rise in warm, draft-free location until double in size, about 1 hour.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove bread sticks from baking sheet immediately.

Sprinkle Variations:

Sprinkle one of the following on bread sticks before baking: sesame seeds, Parmesan cheese, garlic or other flavored salt, or mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

Snack Idea (1-5 year olds):

Kids on the Move –

Adapted from Physical Activities and Healthy Snacks for Young Children; Team Nutrition Iowa;

Seven Jumps

Arrange the children in a circle; they can hold hands facing right which will have them move counterclockwise.  Choose any music with a lively beat (polka, two step, march, etc). 

Start the music.  Move around the circle (slide, skip, gallop, fast walk, or run).  Stop the music.  Everyone will touch one knee to the floor for 10 counts, then stand.  Start the music and move in the opposite direction around the circle.  Stop the music.  Touch one knee to the floor for 5 counts, the other knee touches the floor for 10 counts, then stand.  Start the music and move the opposite direction.  This continues, each round add a body part as follows:

Taking Second Portions at the Self-Service Food Bar

Due to a heightened awareness at this time of year with the spread of flu and other germs schools are reminded to consider the following statement from the Department of Health.  Utensils such as plates, trays or silverware that one has been eating with may not be used when obtaining a second portion of food from a buffet or other food service line.  The only notable exception would be a drinking utensil that may be refilled if it is a contamination free process.  The reason behind this requirement is the fact that human pathogens can be passed to food in bulk form from soiled utensils when second helpings are obtained.  Therefore, if adequate numbers of utensils such as plates or trays are not available, it would be acceptable to serve the food on a clean paper plate or other disposable utensil for a second service.  This issue is addressed in both the State Food Service Code at 44:02:07:25 and the Federal Food Code section 3-304.16.  This practice should be used all school year, and not just during flu season.

Dave Micklos, Administrator, Office of Health Protection, SD Department of Health

Use and Care of Wooden Cutting Boards

One thing to keep in mind in when using a butcher block cutting board is whether the wood has deep knife cuts, grooves, pits etc. or if the seams are drying out leaving gaps or cracks.  If there are no cracks or open seams where food particles can be trapped or that makes it uncleanable, then wood butcher blocks constructed of hardwood are acceptable for use in a foodservice establishment as long as they are in good condition and are cleaned and sanitized as required.   

Cutting boards and butcher blocks need to be oiled occasionally to prolong the life of the wood.  This can be done with food grade nut oils that have less of a tendency to turn rancid than vegetable oils.  Mineral oil can also be used.  This keeps the wood in better shape to resist cracking and fraying of the wood fibers.   There is sometimes confusion between sealing and oiling.  Sealing is painting or varnishing bare wood to prevent absorption of juices and contaminants and to aid in cleaning.   You would oil the butcher block or cutting board and you would varnish a wooden shelf in a storeroom. 

SD Department of Health

Like Surfing the Web?  Check out these websites for some useful information:

Search the National Food Service Management Institute website for USDA recipes

Contact and program information, numbered memos, forms, upcoming training, and other valuable information may be accessed on the SD Department of Education, Child & Adult Nutrition Services web page

Information on the Child Nutrition Programs such as regulations, program data, program history, and USDA “Spotlights” are featured on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website

The Healthy School Meals Resource System (HSMRS) provides information to persons working in USDA's Child Nutrition Programs. To learn more about the HSMRS, Team Nutrition, and how to borrow school food service publications from National Agricultural Library (NAL), see Framework & History.

The School Nutrition Association is a national, nonprofit professional organization representing more than 55,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country.  Visit this website for news, publications, and information on meetings and events.