September 22, 2005 -- Parents Urged to Monitor School Cafeterias for Food Pathogens

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) today called attention to a provision in last year’s reauthorization of federal child nutrition programs that allows parents to see school cafeteria inspection reports. The Center commended some school districts for putting inspection reports and scores online and said that parents can also visit cafeterias to see if the reports are posted in visible locations. Among the pathogens most commonly responsible for school outbreaks of foodborne illness, according to CSPI, are E.coli 0157:H7, Clostridium perfringens, Norovirus, and Salmonella, and outbreaks can often be traced to violations involving food temperature, when foods intended to be served hot are allowed to cool, or to cross-contamination when raw poultry is stored too close to fresh produce. Hamburgers or foods containing ground beef can harbor E.coli if not cooked to 155 degrees Farenheit. The new law, the School Food Safety Bill of Rights, went into effect in July this year. One of the legislation’s chief sponsors, Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said the new provision “will support parents who want to work with school principals and food-service directors to ensure a safe environment” for the 28 million children who eat lunch at school every day in the United states. The text of the School Food Safety Bill of Rights is available at www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/bill_of_rights.pdf.