23. Menus and Food Safety Documentation

Question 1

Menus and Food Safety Documentation

Answer 1

~ meal and snack menus must be planned, written, dated, and posted at the beginning of each week for families to see
~ any meal substitutions, such as swapping out the fruit one day, must be noted on the menu
~ menus must be kept for 12 months or in accordance with the USDA Child Care Food Program requirements, if they are participating
~ if a program chooses not to serve food, they must work with the family to provide nutritious food for the child
~ if the family fails to provide nutritious meals, the program must provide supplemental food to complete the meal
~ if a special diet is required for a child, a copy of the physician’s order and a sample meal plan must be maintained in the child’s file and followed

Question 2

Food Logs/Documentations

Answer 2

~ a log must be maintained for all prepared meals catered for the program, and it must be retained for 12 months for child care facilities and school-age programs
~ the log must include the delivery date, time of arrival, quantities, and types of foods, verification of adequate food temperatures by the recipient, and the name and signature of the recipient
~ if the temperature of the food is not correct or it does not meet the licensing standards, the food should not be accepted
~ child care programs should have an alternate meal plan that can be implemented if the outside food cannot be accepted
~ the program must retain a copy of the license or permit for caterers

Question 3

Food-Related Activities

Answer 3

~ if the child care program is planning a food-related activity, such as a holiday celebration or cooking activity, they must notify the parents and guardians in advance of the activity to obtain written permission for the children to participate
~ this documentation must be retained for 12 months from the date of the activity