La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § CLXI-1919

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section CLXI-1919 - Food Service and Nutrition

A. All meals and snacks provided by the center, and their preparation, service and storage, shall meet the requirements for meals of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), 7 CFR 226.20, and LAC 51:XXIII.

B. The weekly menu shall:

1. be planned for each day of the week at a minimum and list the specific food items served;

2. be prominently posted, written or electronically, by the first day of each week at a minimum and remain posted throughout the week; and

3. have substitutions or additions posted, written or electronically, on or near the menu.

C. Food Allergies and Special Diets

1. Information regarding food allergies and special diets of children shall be posted in the food preparation area with special care taken to ensure that individual names of children are not in public view. If a parent chooses to allow the center to post the child's name and allergy information in public view, the center shall obtain a signed and dated authorization from the parent.

2. Children with allergies or special diets shall not be served foods identified as restricted by the parent.

D. A minimum of a breakfast or morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack shall be served to children, and meals and snacks shall be served not more than three hours apart.

1. Centers that do not serve breakfast shall have nutritious food available for children who arrive in the morning without having eaten breakfast.

2. Children under age four shall not have foods that are implicated in choking incidents. Examples of these foods include, but are not limited to: whole hot dogs, hot dogs sliced in rounds, raw carrot rounds, whole grapes, hard candy, nuts, seeds, raw peas, hard pretzels, hard chips with the exception of puffs, peanuts, popcorn, whole marshmallows other than when melted in other foods or found in boxed cereals, spoons of peanut butter, and chunks of meat larger than what can be swallowed whole.

3. Children shall be allowed a reasonable time to eat each meal and snack. Children shall not be forced to finish all their food.

4. Food shall be given to children on individual plates, cups, napkins, or paper towels, as appropriate, and individual utensils shall be provided, as appropriate.

5. Drinking water shall be readily available indoors and outdoors to children at all times. Water shall be given to infants only with written instructions from parents or a physician.

E. Parents shall be allowed to provide breast milk or provided space to breastfeed their child on site.

F. Centers may allow parents to bring food into the center.

G. Parents of all children in a class with a child with allergies shall be advised to avoid any known allergies in class treats or food brought into the center.

H. Infants that cannot hold a bottle shall be held while being bottle-fed. A child shall not be placed lying down on a mat or otherwise with a bottle, sippy cup, etc. A bottle shall not be propped at any time.

I. Microwave ovens shall not be used for warming bottles or infant food.

J. Bottled formula/breast milk for infants shall be labeled with the childs name.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § CLXI-1919

Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 41640 (April 2015). effective 7/1/2015, Amended LR 44257 (2/1/2018), effective 3/1/2018, Amended LR 441867 (10/1/2018), Amended LR 471279 (9/1/2021), Amended LR 491714 (10/1/2023).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:6 and 17:407.40(A)(4).