Is it safe for a teacher to take uneaten food from a child's tray back to the classroom for an afternoon snack?

Once a menu item is served, how it is handled after that is out of your control. Therefore, teachers could take the uneaten food and take it to the classroom for a later snack. The SC School HACCP Plan and the SC Foodservice Rules do not prohibit this practice.

Even so, this practice is not recommended because how the food is handled after it is served to the student might not be sanitary. The food might be stored in an unclean environment or handled by somebody who has not washed their hands. If the School Nutrition Director wants to prohibit this, he or she will need to discuss this with the principal at each school and establish a school policy.

Updated: December 20, 2008; Originally Prepared: October 2006

If you have questions, contact Dr. Angela Fraser, Associate Professor/Food Safety Education Specialist, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.


Clemson University is an AA/EEO employer and does not discriminate against any person or group on the basis of age, color, disability,gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

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