Schools now are responsible for providing kids with healthy school lunch with vegetables and fruits. They have to make sure that every step in meal preparation is done appropriately in order not to cause any safety problem, especially when foods are consumed raw. Anything in the food processing, from use of contaminated water to handling the produce to unsanitary hands can cause illness. Unluckily, the regulations regarding food processing are not stringent, making the delivery of food from manufacturers to the schools the most modifiable step in this loop.
The only Federal law regulating fresh food produce is the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), focusing on preventive control of food contamination was developed and signed by President Obama in 2011 (Sawtelle, 2013). However, the farmers are not required to comply with it until 2018. It is still questionable whether the program will be able to finish the training and facility extension with the limited resources by then.
Schools need also to be aware of the local regulation beforehand and establish their own rules in the process of contracting or purchasing with local farmers. According to the webinar, the schools are suggested to come up with a specific list of safety items and are recommended to observe, inspect and evaluate the food produce of each kind of fruit or vegetables they buy. However, schools don’t receive any support from the government on what this safety list should include, when to inspect the farms and where the resources for these inspections come from. The fresh produce added in the school lunch may end up becoming a burden on the schools financially, considering the fact that each kid on average is only reimbursed for less than $3 for each of their lunches(“School Meals,”). The $3 has to cover the cost of both vegetables and the inspection of them. Schools short in funds/staff may not be able to put fresh produce on the lunch table. Students are thus restricted to the processed food and fast food that are easier to preserve and transport, much cheaper and calorically denser. It was reported that some schools only use pizzas as the vegetables, since the they have tiny amount of tomatoes on them. Chain restaurants such as Pizza’s Hut are seen participating in the National School Lunch Program. It is doubtful whether this regulation on food safety is actually assuring kids to eat better or it is prohibiting kids coming from socioeconomically disadvantaged families from getting the best food they can. Since this issue affects both children and teenagers, it raises more concern about the health of the future generation.
Sawtelle, M. (2013). Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
School Meals. Rates of Reimbursement.
Service, U. F. a. N. (2016). Planning for Farm to School Success – Farm to School Food Safety.
The farm to school movement is a win/win. It gives local farmers the ability to grow and become more financial stable while providing children the opportunity to have access to nutritious produce that they might not otherwise eat. This post and webinar raises some interesting points that aren’t always thought of. As a parent and community member I hear farm to school and think, great, I want my kids to eat local foods that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides, picked prematurely, and flown across the country. However, I have never given much thought to the food safety side of things. The point you raised that schools are encouraged to evaluate their local farm vendors but don’t receive the support necessary to do so leads me to question if schools will go through the trouble or if it will deter them from utilizing local farmers as suppliers. Already overwhelmed school administrators and district representatives might find this to be more work and financial stress than it is worth. Food safety should always be a priority so hopefully as this trend grows so too will the resources available to help both parties streamline the process.