School HACCP

By July 1, 2006, USDA required that all schools have in place a food safety plan based on process HACCP principles. Schools that did not meet this mandate were in jeopardy of losing their federal funds.

In North Carolina, we have identified three types of school foodservice operations -- commercial kitchens, home-style kitchens, and catered meals. Each type of operation has a specific HACCP Plan that addresses the unique features associated with the type of operation.

The first step is to determine which type of operation you have. If you are having difficulty determining your type of operation, please contact your Regional Child Nutrition Consultant or your School Meals Initiative (SMI) Consultant to help you.

Commercial Kitchen -- All menu items are prepared and served on-site and so the operation must meet all of the requirements of the NC Foodservice Rules.
Home-style Kitchen -- These facilities are often small group-type homes in which food is prepared using "household" type ingredients, procedures, and equipment.
Catered Meals -- These schools provide meals with limited on-site food preparation. No potentially hazardous foods can be cooked on-site in this type of an operation. Also, all meals prepared off-site must come from a foodservice operator who is permitted by the State of North Carolina.
Central Warehouse -- For many school district this is where most foods and supplies are delivered. From here items are distributed to individual schools within the district.