Keeping cafeterias safe

Schools in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania manage their cafeterias and school meal programming in different ways.

However, the recipe for successfully feeding an entire school district has the same ingredients regardless of locality. That is to ensure that food-born spaces meet all health codes and a cafeteria staff who provide school meals that appeal to students with different dietary needs or who may be dealing with food insecurity.

All this is important because, as Lyn Prestia, the food services director at the Monroe-Woodbury School District, said: “Every meal is an opportunity to support student success, foster inclusivity and strengthen the connection between nutrition and learning.”

Here’s a breakdown of how school districts in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania go about those responsibilities.

New Jersey

Schools in the Garden State must be inspected twice every calendar year.

“If violations are observed during routine inspection or complaint investigation, the inspector will work with schools as they do with all other food facilities to have the violation(s) corrected,” said Jennifer Shortino, the division director and health officer of the Sussex County Division of Health. “Enforcement actions may also be taken, such as issuing a Notice of Violation.”

Shortino added that the “N.J. Department of Health mandates the public health practice standards of performance, which includes food surveillance.”

In Sussex County, all 24 municipalities report to under the County Health Department. There are several factors that contribute to Sussex County food inspections, like proper handwashing, separation of raw meats and eggs from prepared food and ensuring safe cooking temperatures.

Public records show that schools in districts like Vernon, Sparta, Wantage and Newton have passed their most recent inspections.

The Passaic County Department of Health Services Office of Environmental Health requires that all food establishments must follow the guidelines laid out in Chapter 24 of the New Jersey State Sanitary Code, and that establishments “within the Department’s jurisdiction are inspected at least once per year.”

Under Chapter 24, schools in Passaic County, including those in West Milford, are named a potential risk two food establishment, which among other criteria, “limits the complex preparation of potentially hazardous foods.”

Not your grandparents’ school lunch program

Many Sussex County schools have partnered with Maschio Food services for their daily meal offerings. Nicole Sylvester, the school business administrator and board secretary at the Andover Regional School District, said that while the district has custodial staff who clean the kitchen and cafeteria space, Maschio Foods is responsible for other aspects of kitchen management, like equipment and food storage.

In the seven years she has worked in the district, Sylvester said she has never heard about any violations being found.

Maschio’s menu options include a slew of classic items like grilled chicken Caesar salad and assorted fruits, cheeseburgers, paninis and sliders and “The Cutting Board” — sandwiches and wraps made to order.

Sylvester said that because Andover’s food service is self-funded and generates revenue, the district occasionally holds “Chef Days,” where a chef from Maschio will come to the school to provide a special food day, like Taco Day or Pasta Day.

To accommodate all students, regardless of family income, many Sussex County families can fill out a form to apply for free or reduced lunch or breakfast.

In Andover, Sylvester said the school nurse assists with processing the forms with the state. For students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, they offer a Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, where families receive a card with some money to purchase groceries during the summer months.

New York

The Orange County Department of Health performs two inspections of all school food service establishments every year. Standards are set by the New York State Department of Health: Red or critical violations relate to situations that could cause food borne illnesses, while blue or noncritical violations relate to the design, maintenance or overall cleanliness of the facility.

Public records show that several public school districts in Orange County, including Goshen, Tuxedo and Warwick Valley, passed all recent cafeteria inspections. However, North Main Elementary School in the Monroe-Woodbury district and Chester Elementary School received violations during the latest checks.

On Feb. 20, a noncritical violation of NYS Sanitary Code 14.1, Section 14-B, — which maintains that garbage receptacles remain closed at all times to prevent pest attraction — was found at North Main Elementary School.

Monroe-Woodbury School District’s Food Services Director Lyn Prestia said the staff was then reminded to ensure trash cans stay closed and self-inspection checks were conducted.

“Our Food Service Department takes health and safety very seriously,” Prestia said. “We conduct frequent self-inspections to ensure ongoing compliance with all Department of Health regulations. Our staff is provided with updated self-inspection criteria to support continued adherence of food safety standards in all spaces.”

“Any concerns related to sanitation are addressed immediately in coordination with building custodial staff and maintenance teams,” she added.

During its Feb. 4 inspection, Chester Elementary School received a violation of Item 10B — designating that “nonfood contact surfaces and equipment are improperly designed, installed, constructed, maintained” and a violation of 14 A — “insects, rodents present.”

Roderick Isaac, the food services director for Chester, Goshen and Florida schools, noted that violations were found in a building that dates back to the 1960s, possibly older, where mice sometimes make small holes. He said staff were trained to keep everything in bins with lids, sanitize frequently and store much of their items in the refrigerator, including some dry items.

Pest Control comes twice a month, Isaac said, placing sticky traps and spring traps, to remain ahead of the issue.

Referring to Item 10B, Isaac said he believes the specific problem was found in the dishwasher; while they were unable to find the exact issue with the appliance, when inspectors came back the second time, the violation was no longer present.

During an inspection about a year ago, a violation was also found at Chester Academy, related to insufficient food temperature, Isaac added. He said he then got in contact with the Board of Health, who notified him that food was found in the “danger zone” and needed to be heated to above 165 degrees. They then took various steps, like making sure staff is appropriately trained to ensure the steam wells, which are used to store and keep food at certain temperatures, stay at around 200 degrees.

“If there is a violation, we just take care of it in a timely manner, and they do come back and check to make sure these things are fixed,” Isaac said.

Isaac noted that his schools take percautions to make sure their kitchen spaces are safe and up-to-code, such as purchasing pre-cooked meats rather than raw protein.

Aside from working to meet inspection criteria, Isaac said Goshen follows other guidelines related to nutrition in their meal options. Burger patties, chicken tenders and cold cuts are reduced salt and the school offers salads and greens with all meals. Goshen schools also offer Halal meals for select students, about 3-4 per school a day, Isaac said, and some gluten-free meal choices for about 20 students.

Since 2023, Monroe-Woodbury has served no-cost meals to all of their students, no matter what their household income is. Prestia added that this year, the district has served 1 million meals.

“Feeding students at this scale means going beyond compliance,” Prestia said. “It involves intentional planning, cultural awareness, and a commitment to nutrition, quality, and equity — all in service of the health and well-being of our entire school community. Every meal is an opportunity to support student success, foster inclusivity and strengthen the connection between nutrition and learning.”

Because they were previously eligible under the Community Eligibility Provision — which originally maintained that if 60 percent of students qualify for free or reduced, recently lowered to 25 percent, everybody in the district had to eat for free — all students in Chester and Florida districts have been able to receive free meals for some time now. Though the district is small, the Tuxedo Union Free School District also previously offered free meals for all of its students.

During its last session, the New York State Senate passed an amendment to the New York State Education Law in the 2025-2026 Executive Budget, adding Section 915a Universal Free School Meals. The change mandates that beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year, any New York State Food Authority that participates in the federal school lunch or breakfast programs must “provide reimbursable school meals at no cost to all students.”

While certain students in the district were able to qualify for free or reduced meals prior to its passing, under the new amendment, all students in the Goshen School District will be able to receive free school meals starting in the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year. Isaac said the district expects a 25 percent increase in participation in the free meal option since the last time they offered free meals for the entire district — at one point during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That’s going to really help us out and really help out the students who absolutely need these meals,” Isaac said.

At the time of its passage, State Senator James Skoufis, who represents New York’s 42nd district which encompasses a large amount of Orange County, said in a Facebook post that the amendment was one of the “best things to emerge from a fraught budget negotiation.”

“There is copious research that demonstrates the value of school-provided meals at no cost to families – better health, improved classroom behavior, and improved test scores,” Skoufis wrote. “When kids are fed, they walk into the classroom prepared to learn and I was proud to advocate for this important program.”

Pennsylvania

Facilities in Pike County are inspected by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture food safety inspectors.

“All facilities are inspected for the set of standards put forth in the PA Food Code, whether they are in a municipality inspected by the Dept. of Agriculture or a local health department,” said Shannon Powers, the Department of Agriculture press secretary. “The inspection reports note inspection results according to the type of violation as it is classified in the code.”

Like so many of its counterparts in New Jersey and New York, the Delaware Valley School District in Milford, Pa., also passed its most recent cafeteria inspections.

While there was a violation found at the Delaware Valley High School’s Sept. 25 inspection, citing a lack of proper cooling methods and temperature control in a refrigerator, the school passed its follow-up inspection on Oct. 2. The report states that a work order was placed for the refrigerator, and the inspector’s notes say the report was reviewed with Justin Roselli, the district’s food service supervisor.

Similar to New Jersey, students in the Delaware Valley district must fill out an application to see if they qualify for free or reduced lunch. The State of Pennsylvania did offer free breakfast to all students during the 2024-2025 school year.