The USDA has established minimum professional standards requirements for school nutrition professionals who manage and operate the National School
Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.
The standards, another key provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), aim to institute minimum education standards for
new State and local school nutrition directors as well as annual training standards for all school nutrition professionals. The final rule,
effective July 1, 2015, was released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and published in the Federal Register on
March 2, 2015
These new standards will ensure school nutrition personnel have the knowledge, training and tools they need to
plan
, prepare, and purchase healthy products to create nutritious, safe, and enjoyable school meals.