January 15, 2009 -- Take advantage of SNA's new Career Center to post your school nutrition job openings, look for career opportunities or post your resume for prospective employers to view.
Discover the benefits of SNA’s Career Center:
Find the right job or candidate today at www.schoolnutrition.org/careers
January 14, 2009 -- School breakfast participation continues to rise, according to a report released today by the Food Research and Action Council (FRAC). According to FRAC’s annual School Breakfast Report Card, school breakfast participation increased 4 percent during the 2007-2008 school year, with 10.5 million children served daily. FRAC also released another report that looks at school breakfast promotion and participation in 19 of the country's largest cities.
The School Breakfast Program began as a pilot program in 1966 with the intent of making sure children started the school day with the boost breakfast can give. School breakfast is available to children from all socio-economic backgrounds. Studies continue to demonstrate the links between breakfast and learning, making the case stronger for more schools to expand breakfast participation and make sure all children participate. In 2007-2008, 49.5 low-income children ate school breakfast for every 100 children who ate school lunch.
To measure the reach of the School Breakfast Program, FRAC compares the number of schools and low-income children that participate breakfast as compared to the broadly utilized National School Lunch Program. In the 2007-2008 school year, 85.7 percent of schools offering lunch offered breakfast as well. This is a slight increase from 84.8 percent last year. One of the barriers to offering the breakfast program at the local level continues to be the cost to prepare a school breakfast – which is greater than ‘pre meal’ federal reimbursement provided to school districts participating in the School Breakfast Program.
As the economy worsens, more families are relying on the federal child nutrition programs, including the School Breakfast Program. With growing unemployment and volatile food and energy costs, many families wonder where their next meal will come from. In a December report by the School Nutrition Association found that school breakfast participation increased in the first few months of the 2008-2009 school year. In nearly 70 percent of the school districts surveyed, breakfast participation increased.
SNA has tools available to help school nutrition programs expand breakfast. This year, during National School Breakfast Week, children across the country will be encouraged to “Power Up! With School Breakfast.” With the help of several special school breakfast superheroes, school nutrition professionals across the country will promote the importance of eating a nutritious and balanced breakfast each morning. Students will also be able to create their own school breakfast superhero in the “Design a Superhero Contest.” For additional information on National School Breakfast Week activities, please visit www.schoolbreakfast.org.
School breakfast provides at least one-fourth of the nutrients needed by a growing child. The U.S. Department of Agriculture sets the nutrient standards for the federal School Breakfast Program, requiring breakfasts provide less than 30 percent of their calories from fat, and 10 percent or less from saturated fat, meeting the goals of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Research shows that children who eat breakfast have improved memory, problem-solving skills, verbal fluency and creative abilities. Qualitative research, including research from Harvard University and the University of Minnesota, also points to improved classroom behavior, with students being more alert, happier and ready to learn. Both studies saw an increase in math test scores in children who ate a good breakfast.
FRAC School Breakfast Score Card - 2007-2008 (pdf)
Breakfast for America's Big Cities - 2006-2007 (pdf)
January 13, 2009 -- The School Nutrition Foundation has posted an RFP for marketing training to the SNA website at www.schoolnutrition.org/marketing101. SNF seeks consultant(s) to develop an integrated training program for school nutrition directors, supervisors, and managers to be delivered through School Nutrition University.
The finished educational products will support marketing and communication training needs in SNA’s Certification program. Complete instructions on submitted the RFP are available on the web page and in the RFP document. The submission deadline is 12:00 EST, Thursday, January 22, 2009.
www.schoolnutrition.org/marketing101
www.schoolnutritoin.org/snf
January 12, 2009 -- King Nut Companies has recalled peanut butter distributed by the company under the King Nut and Parnell’s Pride labels for possible salmonella contamination. The peanut butter is only sold to food service institutions, including schools and universities. The company does not distribute retail sized butter.
The company is recalling all containers of peanut butter with lot codes beginning with “8.” The peanut butter is manufactured by the Peanut Corporation of America and distributed by the King Nut Companies under the King Nut and Parnell’s Pride labels. King Nut Companies has cancelled all orders with the Peanut Corporation of America.
The recall comes as Minnesota state health officials determined the peanut butter as the source of an outbreak of salmonella in the state. Health authorities are now determining if the peanut butter is the cause of a nationwide outbreak of salmonella. Officials from the Food and Drug Administration warn that there is inconclusive evidence at this time to link the peanut butter to a nationwide outbreak of salmonella. Since October, over 400 people have been sickened in 42 states.
UPDATE: As of January 14, 2009, the recall has been expanded to include the following:
Lot Numbers Affected:
8193, 8194, 8197, 8233, 8234, 8235, 8241, 8255, 8256, 8275, 8276, 8282, 8283, 8284, 8296, 8316, 8330, 8331, 8336,
8345, 8354
Stock Numbers Descriptions and Pack Size Affected:
551000 Creamy Stabilized Peanut Butter 6 ct / 5 lb
551006 Crunchy Stabilized Peanut Butter 6 ct / 5 lb
551020 Creamy Stabilized Peanut Butter 35 lb
551022 Natural Course Peanut Paste 35 lb
551025 Old Fashioned Creamy Peanut Butter with 1% Salt 35 lb
551035 Crunchy Natural Peanut Butter 35 lb
551040 Creamy Natural Peanut Butter 35 lb
551050 Creamy Stabilized Peanut Butter 50 lb
551050-D Dark Creamy Stabilized Peanut Butter 50 lb
551051 Creamy Stabilized Peanut Butter with Monodiglyceride 50 lb
551053 Crunchy Stabilized Peanut Butter 50 lb
551072 Peanut Butter Variegate 45 lb
Please keep checking www.schoolnutrition.org for additional information as it becomes available.
King Nut Issues Peanut Butter Recall – King Nut Company Release
Tub of peanut butter checked for link to salmonella outbreak – USA Today