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Production Records for School Nutrition Programs

Overview

School Nutrition Programs | Program Guidance | Forms | Resources | Nutrition Education

All schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) must maintain daily production records that document the service of reimbursable meals to students. A production record is a working tool that outlines the type and quantity of foods that need to be purchased and available for the meal service.

Production records help verify that the SFA’s meal service meets the NSLP and SBP meal pattern requirements for reimbursable meals; they show how the offered meals contribute to the required meal components and food quantities for each meal served to each grade group every day. Production records serve as a communication tool that tells food service staff what foods and recipes to use, what quantities to prepare, and what amounts to portion. 

In addition to documenting reimbursable meals, production records also provide information about the meal service, such as the actual quantities prepared and the total meals served. This historical information helps with future menu planning. SFAs can use previous production records to forecast trends, identify student preferences, and plan future menus. Production records also help SFAs with controlling waste, tracking food safety, and conducting a nutrient analysis of menus.

Required Elements for Production Records

Production records must include certain elements that are recorded at different times.  An overview of these requirements is below.  For detailed guidance, refer to the CSDE's Requirements for Production Records in School Nutrition Programs.

Complete before meal service

  • Basic information, e.g., name of the school/site, grade groups being served, meal date, menu, meal type (breakfast or lunch), and if offer versus serve (OVS) is implemented for the meal service
  • Daily menu including all meal choices
  • Planned menu items, i.e., the specific type and amount of all meal choices, milk, leftovers, substitutions, and all noncreditable foods
  • Planned portion size and number of servings for all menu items
  • Recipe name and number for standardized recipes and food product name and code for commercial products 

Complete during meal service

  • Temperatures for Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food (TCS), formerly known as potentially hazardous foods

Complete after meal service

  • Substitutions for the planned menu
  • Total servings prepared for the meal service
  • Servings left over
  • Total servings selected during the meal service
  • Total number of meals served (reimbursable and nonreimbursable meals, e.g., second student meals and adult meals)
CSDE Production Record Templates and Resources 

Schools may choose to use or adapt the CSDE's production record templates. To access these templates, go to the Documents/Forms section of the left navigation bar. For guidance on completing production records, refer to the CSDE's Requirements for Production Records in School Nutrition Programs and the resources below.