Streamlined HUSSC Application Process and Guidance

Alabama Department of Education

New

  • Certification:
  • Extended certification period from 2 years to 4 years—schools will not need to reapply as often. All menus served should meet the HUSSC criteria from the approval date throughout the certification period.
  • FNS is announcing financial incentives for certified schools as listed below. The financial incentives are per school, so a district which submits for multiple schools will receive the award amount for each school’s Child Nutrition Program. Also, if a school reaches a lower certification level (such as Bronze) and receives the financial incentive ($500), then later the school progresses to a higher level (such as Gold of Distinction), the school will then receive the full financial incentive for the higher level ($2000). All HUSSC award monies must be deposited into the nonprofit school food service account and used for allowable expenses under that account. The monetary incentive awards are available until the funds are depleted. USDA will process the applications in the order they are received.
  • Bronze - $500
  • Silver - $1000
  • Gold - $1500
  • Gold of Distinction - $2000
  • ADP Criteria:
  • No ADP requirement for Bronze Level Award—only required to participate in NSLP.
  • Eased ADP requirements for Silver Level Award (Elementary/Middle Schools to 60% and High Schools to 45%).
  • Milk Requirements:
  • Low-carbohydrate milks—Milk products that have non-nutritive (artificial) sweetenerscannot be served in HUSSC schools. These milk products can be identified by special labeling on the package, such as “reduced-calorie chocolate milk” or “no sugar added”.
  • Fresh Fruit Requirements:
  • Depending on the award level, a fresh fruit must be served 1 or 2 days per week. While fruits dipped in syrup, Jell-o, caramel and/or infused with flavors, etc. may be counted as a fruit (not recommended for HUSSC); they could not be counted as a fresh fruit for HUSSC. FNS Guidance for itsFresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) would not allow this practice for the fruit to be counted as fresh. Therefore, in the interest of consistency across our programs, HUSSC will not allow this practice for a fruit to be counted as meeting the fresh fruit criteria.
  • Competitive Beverages – Juice Requirements:
  • Only 100% full strength fruit and vegetable juices with no sweeteners (nutritive or non-nutritive) in the specified serving size (maximum of 6 fluid ounces for elementary and middle schools and 8 fluid ounces for high schools) may be allowed. Frozen juice products, slushy-type or smoothies, are not allowed for HUSSC competitive beverage requirements.
  • Menu Structure/Production Records:
  • Token items – the best example of this is whole wheat bread on the menu every day with only a few servings being taken by the students. Other examples might include, planning a very small quantity of the HUSSC items with only a few servings being taken by the students (fewer than 10% of the students taking a HUSSC item). The Gold Award of Distinction application must demonstrate that at least 10% of the students take the HUSSC items on a regular basis.
  • Competitive Foods Calculations:
  • Calculator calculations – use only the nutrition facts label from a product, not any other information source from manufacturer, since the promotional vendor information may or may not be correct.
  • Saturated fat calculations in the competitive foods calculator will not be rounded up. The Formulas document and the Calculator programming have been changed to reflect this, so that items that are 9.5% to 9.9% will be okay since they are still under 10%.
  • Documentation needed to verify that lunches are reimbursable:
  • Food based menu planning schools should submit menus and production records that include menu items, serving sizes, and quantities planned, used, leftovers, and number of students served each day. They should also indicate if and how Offer vs. Serve is being implemented.
  • NSMP schools should submit menus, production records, and complete detailed nutrient analyses of the menus submitted with the application. In addition, schools should provide a brief explanation on number of entrées and side dishes offered, and indicate whether OVS is implemented and how.Recipes must be submitted for those that the serving size needs to be verified.
  • Other:
  • On-line and print Application Kit will provide step by step information and guidance on how to apply for an award along with a HealthierUS School Challenge Checklist Poster to track progress.
  • Guidance materials will be made available on healthy fundraising ideas and tips on increasing participation.
  • Complete Power Point Presentations with notes will be made available on-line and in Application Kit—available for administrators and foodservice staff.

Existing

  • Menu Criteria:
  • There are two different criteria for vegetables. First, there must be a different vegetable offered every day. Secondly, depending on the award level, there must be a certain number of dark green/orange vegetables with at least two different. So if the menu listed broccoli, carrots, and carrots during the week, that'd be okay because 2 are different (broccoli and carrots). However, there would have to be a different vegetable offered each day.

Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri
Corn / Green Beans / Carrots / Broccoli / Mashed Potatoes
Carrots / Broccoli / Carrots
  • School Districts that have multiple schools applying may submit only one
  • set of 4-week lunch menus, menu worksheets, and recipes if the same menu and foods are served district wide.
  • set of Competitive Foods worksheets, if the same competitive foods and beverages were sold throughout the cafeteria and/or school campus.
  • School Policies and Practices checklist, if each individual school follows its district’s wellness policy
  • each school must submit their production records due to substitutions, number served, etc.
  • On-line application prompts user to complete the required information—user can save information on your hard drive and return to complete as time permits.
  • On-line Competitive Foods Calculator does the math to quickly determine if an item meets the HUSSC criteria.
  • Guidance materials are available on whole grains, dry beans and peas, vegetables, and frequently asked questions.
  • Items sold as competitive foods must meet both the HUSSC Federal criteria/standards and Alabama’s Healthy Snack Standards for Foods and Beverages at School. In cases where the criteria differ, the item should meet the more stringent of the two.
  • Menu Structure/Production Records:
  • Every child must have an opportunity to select the HUSSC menu. This can be met by
  • At least one lunch line that serves foods that meet all the HUSSC menu criteria
  • All lunch lines serve foods that meet all the HUSSC menu criteria
  • Multiple lunch lines if the student can select items from any of the lines, i.e. scramble system
  • Opportunity for all students to go to a salad bar line to meet fruit/vegetable requirements
  • On applications using Food Based menu planning, the menu structure must not group fruits & vegetables with items like Mac ‘n cheese, bread items and dessert items and then limit the number of items the student may take so that they would be unable to take all the HUSSC menu items.
  • Although USDA does not require submission of production records for the Bronze Level Award, these records are required as part of the application in Alabama.
  • Completeness of production records --- applications must provide accurate, complete production records. Instructions on completing production records can be found at Sections, Child Nutrition, Publications, School Nutrition, Forms, Production Records Instructions Revised 6-26-09.
  • Requirements for Reimbursable Meals:
  • Under the food based menu planning options, schools must offer food components in at least the minimum amounts required for the various grade groups.
  • Under Nutrient Standard Menu Planning (NSMP), at a minimum, planned lunch menus must contain the following items: an entrée, one or more side dishes, a serving of fluid milk. When averaged over the school week, school meals must meet the appropriate age or grade based nutrient standards specified in regulations.
  • Milk Requirements:
  • Low fat and fat-free milk – Current regulations require schools to offer milks with a variety of fat contents. Schools must offer only low-fat (1%) and fat-free (skim) milk, flavored or unflavored, to meet program requirements and HUSSC criteria.
  • Physical Education/Activity:
  • One of the PA criteria state that a school cannot deny or require PA as a means of punishment.
  • School Policies and Practices:
  • Fundraising – schools may answer No to the question “Are primarily non-food items sold through school fundraising activities?” but must answer Yes to the question “Do food items that are sold during the school day meet the guidelines for competitive foods?” in order to still be considered for a HUSSC award.

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