Preparation is the Key
Every year, CKC Good Food helps our client partners prepare for their Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Administrative Review – a process that happens once every five years and confirms compliance with all federal food program regulations. This year, we are assisting 15-16 clients with their reviews.
Each review takes a deep dive into key areas like menu records, food safety documentation, and overall compliance with USDA standards. To help partners feel ready long before review time, our Customer Services Managers visit each site at least once a month, walking through checklists, reviewing records, and answering questions.
When it’s time for the real thing, Director of Compliance Laurie Yohn, SNS, DTR, CFPM, steps in to guide schools through mock onsite reviews and help organize documentation, giving every partner confidence that their review will go smoothly.
And we practice what we preach – CKC Good Food undergoes our own Administrative Review every single year at our central commissary, not just every five years. That means we’re constantly fine-tuning our systems and staying ahead of evolving regulations, which directly benefits our partners.
Step by Step – A Thorough Review
In early November, Laurie guided our Administrative Review with Noelle Schrankler, MPH, RD Nutrition Program Consultant from MDE Food and Nutrition Services. The half-day visit covered every aspect of our operation, with input from multiple team members.
✅ Menu Documentation
Noelle examined our weekly menus, standardized recipes, CN labels, and food production records. Laurie explained our portion guides and offer vs. serve procedures and training. Her meticulous record-keeping stood out throughout the process, ensuring all documentation is completed accurately and in compliance with USDA guidelines.
✅ Food Safety
Much of the time was spent touring the kitchen, where Kitchen Manager Joel Wight walked through our HACCP procedures, showcasing our extensive temperature and cleaning logs – from oven to holding cabinets to delivery at sites. He also explained our thermometer calibration process and answered other food production questions.
✅ Procurement
Procurement and Warehouse Manager Justin Kilmer shared our receiving logs and non-domestic food tracking required as part of the Buy American Act. While current USDA rules allow limited exceptions for food not available domestically, like pineapple or fish sauce, each item must note the reason for purchase. Our non-domestic purchases are below the 10% threshold.
✅ Menu Development & Ordering
With behind-the-scenes support from Director of Strategic Planning Ambika Senthilvel, the team gave an in-depth overview of our recipe creation, menu writing, specialty menus, and request process. It included how the team handles serving those who have food allergies and how menu substitutions are handled when changes arise. Prep Tags Coordinator Daniel Schultz and Logistics Coordinator Ruslan Pankiv explained how we determine the quantity of food to send to each site based on participation data and menu requirements as well as insight into the types of customer requests we receive related to meal count changes and our policies for managing them.
Positive Results, Continuous Improvement
The review concluded in a positive outcome, with Noelle praising our top-notch communication with client partners, particularly around cancellations and inclement weather. With only one update needed to include more information in our non-domestic food tracking documentation, we are proud of our team’s commitment to maintaining high standards for nutrition and food safety compliance.
We’re grateful for our relationship with MDE and going through these annual Administrative Reviews to continue refining our processes to better serve our partners, which ultimately means nourishing bodies, minds, and cultures across Minnesota.