Schools seek safe food rules

Diane Turbyfill of Lincoln County’s Home Newspaper reports that when the Lincoln County Board of Education policy committee met Monday night, food safety was among many topics discussed.
Kathy Buelin, child nutrition director, provided a memo from the N.C. Department of Health & Human Services, N.C. Department of Environment & Natural Resources and N.C. Department of Public Instruction. The document cited an outbreak of E. coli in Robeson County Schools in 2001. The incident resulted in more than 40 sick children and at least one lawsuit.
The memo listed suggestions for policies concerning food brought into school.
High risk foods were listed as those originally from animals such as eggs, meat and milk. The document suggests that “under no circumstances should any school allow the following food items to be brought in from homes: ground beef products, venison in any form, unpasteurized milk or juices or products made with unpasteurized milk.”
Food brought to school should be limited to birthdays and holidays and be restricted to “lower risk” foods like cookies, cakes with commercial frosting, fruit pies, breads and canned, bottled or boxed drinks.
Lincoln County currently has no policy concerning food brought to school, though some campuses enforce restrictions.