USDA Regulations
This provision supports the mission of the Child Nutrition Programs, which is to serve children nutritious meals and support American agriculture.
What is the Buy American Provision?
This trend focuses on moving toward less processed foods with fewer ingredients.
What is Clean Label?
Running a 3,6, or 8 - week cycle menu changing up recipes using the same proteins is a practice for good procurement and offering variety.
What is menu rotation?
Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are all tools used by APS and other school districts to market menu items, connect with students, and increase awareness of programs to parents
What is social media?
A method through which multiple SFAs come together and purchase as a group rather than making purchases individually.
What is collective purchasing?
This regulation applies to foods sold a la carte, in the school store, vending machines, and any other venues where food is sold to students
What is Smart Snacks?
A product that has not been fundamentally altered during processing.
What is minimally processed?
A central food production site that produces items in bulk to maintain quality and consistency in product.
What is a commissary kitchen?
APS holds monthly conference calls with this group that give the nutrition team feedback on new menu items, suggestions for future menu items and general feedback on the current menu
What is a student advisory board?
Advantages include increased buying power, increased bargaining power and reduced administrative workload.
What are benefits of a buying group?
Effective July 1, 2019, half of the weekly grains in the school lunch and breakfast menu must be whole grain-rich.
When does the new whole grain requirement go into effect?
Using this term to describe protein products includes no artificial ingredients, coloring ingredients or chemical preservatives, and is minimally processed.
What is "All Natural" for poultry products?
Menu items are purchased pre-prepared and require minimal cooking before service
What is assembly/serve?
Students are more likely to choose this over a generic food item.
What are brand name items?
Micro-Purchases, Small/Informal Purchases, Formal Purchase are all examples of this multi-step process used to obtain goods or services.
What are methods of procurement?
A provision in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) that allows students to decline some of the food offered
What is Offer vs Serve?
Clean Label Snack name Artificial Flavors, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), and Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs) as this kind of ingredient.
What are "unacceptable" ingredients?
This cooking method involves cooking smaller quantities of menu items as needed for service ensures students are being offered quality product.
What is batch cooking?
In an effort to increase participation and test out new menu items, these are offered and marketed to high school students.
What are Limited Time Offerings?
Aurora Public Schools, Englewood, and Adams County 12, Adams 14, Pueblo 60, Pueblo 70, Brighton, Weld, Harrison, Mapleton are some of the school districts that form part of this group.
What is the Central Colorado Co-Op?
This menu planning component was revised to retain Target 1 through the end of school year (SY) 2023-2024, continuing to Target 2 in SY 2024-2025, and eliminating the Final Target that would have gone into effect in SY 2022-2023.
What is the new sodium requirement per USDA?
Why is it important to not have additives?
This tool provides the necessary steps and quantities to produce consistent food products in school kitchens.
What are standardized recipes?
Recently, APS acquired these mobile units to provide another option to students besides the traditional cafeteria-style meal service.
What are food trucks?
Vendors can show new products to multiple districts at a time and get immediate feedback at this time.
What is a quarterly co-op meeting?