WCPSS Wellness Policy

In accordance with guidelines from NC Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Health Services Section – Children’s Environmental Health Branch 2002. In order to protect the children within the schools and secondarily, to limit liability, schools should not allow anyone to bring in foods from non-commercial sources.

Under no circumstances should any school allow the following food items to be brought in from homes:

• ground beef products (hamburgers, casseroles, or ground beef containing dishes)
• venison in any form
• unpasteurized milk or juices or products made with unpasteurized milk ( such as butter, cheese or ice cream), as these foods have traditionally been involved in E. coli outbreaks. Young children are particularly susceptible to this organism.
• Any fresh fruits or vegetables brought in should be from commercial sources and washed thoroughly before being eaten or be fruits from which the peel is removed prior to eating (bananas, tangerines, etc.).

School booth manned by volunteers:

• Seek a permit from the local health department for the stand.
• There are permits for permanent and temporary food booths.
• This will ensure that the stand is checked for the proper equipment and operation and is inspected periodically by the local health department.
• Many local health departments teach a food safety class.
• The manager of the food booth should attend this training.
• If they are serving ground beef products such as hamburgers, the booth MUST have a food thermometer and the thermometer must be used to assure that the hamburgers are cooked to 155 degrees Fahrenheit.

Field trips

• Avoid any non-commercial sources of food
• Have coolers with containers of frozen water in which to put the children’s bagged lunches or order lunches such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that do not require refrigeration.
• Encourage parents to insert in children’s bagged lunches from home, a means of maintaining cold or hot food temperature.