| ■ New Rules for School Lunch Program Suppliers | 2010.02.05 |
| New measures to guarantee the quality and safety of food purchased for the National School Lunch Program were announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency said it will tighten requirements on suppliers of ground beef, test the beef more often and more thoroughly, and improve communications within the USDA to "identify potential food safety issues" before children become ill from eating bad food, USA Today reported. In addition, the USDA said it will be more thorough in reviewing the safety records of companies that supply food for school lunches and exclude those that have had repeated problems with their commercial food products. The new rules are "a big deal," because they'll force companies to "play to a higher standard," food safety consultant David Theno told USA Today. |