Maine school food service professionals are invited to a spring informational meeting on May 17 focused on implementing the new meal pattern regulations required by the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
The Maine Department of Education’s Child Nutrition Services office will host the statewide spring informational meeting focused on these new requirements at the Augusta Elks Lodge. Download a brochure from the Child Nutrition Services Meeting Information page for additional details and registration information.
The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 modifies the National School Lunch Program meal pattern requirements. The Act also includes an additional .06 performance-based lunch reimbursement that districts are eligible to apply for beginning with the 2012-13 school year.
As a result, local school food service departments will need to make changes to their programs and menu planning practices. These changes will begin to take effect next school year and continue to be implemented over a seven-year period, with the majority of the changes during the next three years.
Implementation of most meal requirements in the National School Lunch Program begins next school year, 2012-13. In the School Breakfast Program, the meal requirements (other than milk) will be implemented gradually starting with the 2013-14 school year.
Contact Amy Webb with any questions about this meeting by phone at 207-624-6842 or by email at Amy.Webb@maine.gov. All other questions about meal pattern requirements should be directed to Walter Beesley at 207-624-6875 or by email at Walter.Beesley@maine.gov.
Resources and more information
- Child Nutrition Services Meeting Information page (Scroll to Spring Informational Meeting)
- Schools to change meal patterns amid new guidelines, Feb. 15 2012
- Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture