Wisconsin passes school food safety bill

Gov. Scott Walker signed Assembly Bill 37 into law as 2015 WI Act 46. The legislation -- know as the School Food Safety Bill -- was one of SNA-WI's top legislative priorities this year and was pursued to help equip school nutrition professionals with the necessary tools to enhance food safety and reduce the risk of food borne illness in Wisconsin schools. As you know, all licensed restaurants in Wisconsin must be operated by an individual who holds a certificate of food protection practices issued by the state. The new law (Act 46) championed by SNA-WI would simply extend that requirement to school nutrition programs. More specifically, Act 46 will ensure school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program will have at least one employee on staff who holds a valid food protection practices certificate. Food borne illnesses are preventable and incidents can be reduced with proper food safety education and training. Act 46 provides an easy, yet proven approach to promoting food safety and ensuring the safe storage, preparation, and serving of school meals.