Can milk be re-served?

Once a food item is on a student's tray it is SERVED, and once an item passes the cashier, it is SOLD, so cannot be returned under any circumstances. This applies to reimbursable meals as well as a la carte sales. The only exceptions to this rule are foods that meet the following criteria -- the food is unopened and commercially packaged. Examples include:

cartons of milk
juice boxes
cookies
bags of chips or pretzels
commercially packaged condiment packets

These foods can be recovered and re-served as long as they do not pass the cashier.

For example, if a student is going through the serving line and puts a package of cookies on his or her tray and discovers that they cannot pay for it, the unopened package of cookies can be recovered by the cashier and re-served to another student. However, if the student pays for the cookies, leaves the serving line, and then wants to return them, the cookies cannot be recovered and re-served.

It is also critical that the cashier immediately return any potentially hazardous food to proper storage or holding conditions. Potentially hazardous foods, such as milk and cheese that are recovered, cannot be held in a pan of ice behind the cash register. The reason is that the time and temperature of holding are not monitored.