Current Practices for Providing School Field Trip Meals: Perspectives of School Nutrition Managers and Teachers

Purpose/Objectives: The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 extended the requirements for a school food safety program to wherever food is stored, prepared, or served, including meals for field trips. The purpose of this study was to determine what foods are used for field trip meals, how those foods are transported and stored, and what standard operating procedures are in place to guide school nutrition personnel and teachers in providing safe meals. Methods: Two written questionnaires were developed for collecting information from a random national sample of school nutrition managers and teachers. The questionnaires were developed and delivered using Qualtrics[superscript R]. A total of approximately 4,000 school nutrition managers and 4,000 teachers were contacted, and 192 school nutrition managers and 80 teachers responded. Results: Many foods, such as deli sandwiches, served on field trips require time and temperature control for safety. Most school nutrition managers reported to transport food in coolers with ice or ice packs, but nearly 30% did not. Food safety for meals served on field trips was not viewed as a concern by managers or teachers, and few teachers reported to have any food safety information or training. Application to Child Nutrition Professionals: School nutrition directors can use these results to examine current field trip meals, develop standard operating procedures, purchase equipment, and provide training to promote the safety of food served on field trips. Results emphasize the need to have good communication with teachers about the importance of food safety and identify areas where research is needed.