4.58—FOOD SHARING AND ITSREMOVALFROM FOODSERVICE AREA

Food Sharing Table

Option 1:In an effort to reduce wasted food and to provide students access to healthy foods when possible, the District shall have in the district cafeteria a food sharing table located at the end of the service line. Prior to leaving the service line, students may place on or retrieveitems from the table, at no additional charge, any of the following:

  • Raw whole fruit traditionally eaten without the peel (e.g. bananas and oranges);
  • Raw whole fruit traditionally eaten with the peel provided the fruit is wrapped to prevent contamination (e.g. apples and grapes);
  • Raw whole vegetablesprovided the vegetable is wrapped to prevent contamination (e.g. carrot sticks);1
  • Milk; and
  • Juice.2

Fruit and vegetables to be shared are to be placed into a designated container on the table.3Milk and juice to be shared are to be placed in an ice-filled cooler. Milk and juice may not be taken by another student unless the carton is unopened and was completely covered by ice while in the cooler. A student may not return to the table to place an item for sharing after the student has left the service line.

At all times, the sharing table will be under the supervision of the food service staff. Remaining items should be discarded at the end of the meal period, and no item may remain on the table for longer than four (4) hours.

Option 2:The District has no food sharing system for food items other than milk and juice.2Students who do not intend to drink milk or juice received as part of a meal may place the milk/juice in a designated ice-filled cooler located at the end of the service line where another student may retrieve it at no charge. Milk and juice may not be taken by another student unless the carton is unopened and was completely covered by ice while in the cooler. A student may not return to the cooler to place for sharing or retrieve an item after the student has left the service line.

At all times, the cooler will be under the supervision of the food service staff. Remaining items shouldbe discarded at the end of the meal period, and no item is to remain in the cooler for longer than four (4) hours.

Removing Food Items Fromthe Food Service Area

Option A:At the end of the meal period, a student may leave the cafeteria with up to _____4school provided whole fruit or whole vegetable food items. Students may not remove from the cafeteria milk, juice, or any other item requiring a temperature controlled environment.

Except for food service workers as required by their job duties, District employees may only remove school provided food items from the food service area when required by a 504 plan or a student’s IEP.

(Insert protocol for food items removed from the food service area.)5

Option B:No student shall remove school provided food items from the food service area at the end of the meal period, especially milk, juice, and other items requiring temperature controlled environments.

Except for food service workers as required by their job duties, District employees may only remove school provided food items from the food service area when required by a 504 plan or a student’s IEP.

Notes:Whether or not to have a food sharing table or to permit students to remove food items from the cafeteria are two distinct issues. Selecting Option 1 does not mean you are required to select Option A and vice versa; similarly, selecting Option 2 does not mean you have to select Option B or vice versa.

1 The Arkansas Department of Health requires all manufacturers’ instructions on temperature controls be followed. Most vegetables are manufactured in some way and are required to be kept cold. Items required to be kept cold that are allowed to be placed on the sharing table MUST be discarded no later than four (4) hours after being served.

2While Commissioner’s Memo FIN 08-076 specifically applies to milk, similar procedures for juice are necessary. If you do not wish to use a formalized sharing method for juice, remove the uses of “juice” from the policy except for the prohibition on juice being removed from the cafeteria.

3 The container(s) used for food sharing should be able to be washed, rinsed, and sanitized in the kitchen and must be cleaned at least daily, if not following each meal period.

4 The number of district provided food items a student may remove from the cafeteria is up to the district. The purpose behind letting students take items outside the cafeteria is to allow the students additional time to finish eating rather than to provide students with extra food; therefore, the number of items should be low.

5Consider the following when developing your protocol for school provided food items removed from the food service area:

a)Will your district food service system need to establish a different protocol for elementary and high school or can it establish a standard protocol throughout the district?

b)Will you provide time in the afternoon for students to consume the removed food?

c)Will you provide a place for students to keep the removed food items until the student has time to consume them? If so, how will you make sure the student is the one who gets the food the student removed?

d)How will you make sure students take removed food items not consumed by the end of the day home with them instead of leaving them in desks/lockers?

Legal References:Commissioner’s Memo FIN 08-076

Commissioner’s Memo FIN 15-052

Date Adopted:

Last Revised: