Appendix D - Nutrient Analysis Protocols .pdf

Appendix D - Nutrient Analysis Protocols:

How to Analyze Menus for USDA’s School Meals Programs

An updated version of this publication will be available in Fall 2020

Table of Contents

Chapter Page

1. Introduction, Purpose of Nutrient Analysis, and Learning

Outcomes……………………………………………………………………………… 49

2. The Dietary Specifications…………………………………………………….. 56

3. Key Nutrient Analysis Concepts…………………………………………….. 56

4. Selecting Software for Nutrient Analysis……………………………….. 60

5. Overview of Conducting a Nutrient Analysis…………………………. 63

6. Preparing for a Nutrient Analysis………………………………………….. 69

7. Entering Food Items (Ingredients) into the Local Database….. 73

8. Adding a Recipe to the Local Database…………………………………. 77

9. Entering Menu Plans…………………………………………………………….. 96

10. Evaluating and Modifying Menus and Recipes to Meet the

Dietary Specifications………………………………………………………….. 102

Appendices Appendix A: Meal Pattern for Required Grade Groups: Breakfast and

Lunch……………………………………………………………………………………. 107 Appendix B: Nutrient Analysis and Validation Checklist…………………………….. 110 Appendix C: Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (applies through June 30, 2014)…… 117 Appendix D: USDA-Approved Nutrient Analysis Software

Requirements……………………………………………………………………….. 120 Appendix E: Sample Nutrition Facts Label…………………………………………………. 122 Appendix F: Form for Manufacturers to Submit to Have Food Products

Added to CN Database…………………………………………………………. 123 Appendix G: Raw-to-Cooked Conversion Factor for Selected Vegetables….. 126 Appendix H: Common Moisture and Fat Change Values (%) for Purchased

Prepared Foods that are Fried………………………………………………. 127

Nutrition Goals

Protein, Vitamins & Minerals

• Appropriate for age/grade group

• Minimize inadequacy

Calories

• Appropriate for age/grade group

• Reduce childhood hunger and prevent childhood obesity

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• Eat a variety of foods, especially dark green, red, and orange vegetables; beans and peas; whole grains; and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products

• Balance calories and physical activity to manage weight

• Consume at least half of all grains as whole grains

• Reduce sodium to < 2300 mg per day

• Limit saturated fat to < 10% of calories

• Keep trans fat consumption as low as possible

• Reduce the intake of solid fats and added sugars

• Choose foods that provide more potassium, dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin D

Chapter 1:

Introduction, Purpose of Nutrient Analysis, and Learning Outcomes

Introduction The Final Rule for USDA’s Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, (published January 26, 2012) intends to ensure the provision of nutrient-dense meals (high in nutrients and low in calories) that meet the health needs of school children and reflect the most current dietary science. Under the rule, all schools must follow a Food-Based Menu Planning (FBMP) approach for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and for the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and produce enough food to offer each child the quantities specified in the meal pattern. State agencies (SAs) may be required to conduct weighted nutrient analyses of school lunches and breakfasts for students in grades K through 12 as part of the Administrative Review (AR).

Although School Food Authorities (SFAs) are not required to conduct nutrient analyses, they are expected to follow the meal pattern in order to meet nutrient

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, you will understand how to:

• Relate the USDA school meal patterns to national nutrition standards for healthy children, such as the

Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Dietary Reference Intakes.

• Select an option for assessing compliance with Dietary Specifications requirements during an

Administrative Review.

targets. However, SFAs may conduct nutrient analyses of meals to determine if they are in compliance with the required Dietary Specifications.

Nutrition Standards for Healthy Children

Nutrition Goals

The Nutrition Standards for school meals underscore our national responsibility to provide healthy school meals that are consistent with the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), energy requirements for each age/grade group, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Standards are a critical component of combating the childhood obesity epidemic, while also addressing childhood hunger.

Menu Planning and Nutrient Analysis See Appendix A for meal pattern requirements.

The meal pattern requires specific foods (components) and food quantities based on the age/grade of students. The State agency will conduct menu reviews, which may include performing a weighted nutrient analysis of the lunch and breakfast menus offered for each age/grade group during the review period to determine compliance with the Dietary Specifications for calories, saturated fat, and sodium. State agencies will target a menu review site based on the Meal Compliance Risk Assessment Tool and select one of four options to complete the Dietary Specifications and Nutrient Analysis portion of the AR.

State agencies must select one of the following four options to assess compliance with dietary specifications:

• Option 1: Complete the Dietary Specifications Assessment Tool Complete the Dietary Specifications Assessment Tool (available at:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/administrative-review-manual) to determine the level of risk for meeting the dietary specifications based on the assessment of specific food service practices for lunch and breakfast. This option requires off-site review procedures prior to the on-site visit including the review of menu documentation.

• Option 2: Validate an SFA-Conducted Nutrient Analysis Validate an existing nutrient analysis that was conducted by the SFA or a contractor hired by the SFA. A breakfast and lunch nutrient analysis performed using USDA-approved software must be available specifically for the http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/administrative-review-manual http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/administrative-review-manual targeted menu review site for the State agency to select this option. The State agency may accept the nutrient analysis after validating that the analysis was conducted in accordance with these Nutrient Analysis Protocols. An aggregated, district-wide analysis is not acceptable for validation.

• Option 3: Conduct a Nutrient Analysis The State Agency may decline to use the off-site Dietary Specifications Assessment Tool to determine the level of risk prior to the on-site visit. The State agency will then conduct a lunch and breakfast nutrient analysis using USDA approved software for the site selected for the targeted menu review.

• Option 4: Alternate Method Using Menu Planning Tools Approved for Certification for Six Cents Reimbursement State agencies may request approval from FNS to use an alternate methodology to assess compliance with dietary specifications requirements (see memo SP 46-2013 for more details).

NOTE: This manual will be used for all options when a nutrient analysis is conducted or validated to ensure the correct nutrient analysis protocols are followed.

When it is determined nutrient analyses are required, the State agency must refer to and follow the Nutrient Analysis and Validation Checklist (Appendix B). The checklist provides a series of questions to ensure specific requirements are met before a nutrient analysis is performed or validated. The checklist will prompt the State agency to complete the on-site portion of the Dietary Specifications Assessment Tool as it will provide useful information when conducting or validating the nutrient analyses.

Purpose of Nutrient Analysis The purpose of nutrient analysis is to determine compliance with regulatory requirements for calories, saturated fat, and sodium, and to monitor levels of these dietary components in school meals.

Performing an accurate nutrient analysis is critical to the evaluation of menus and menu documentation. This manual is designed to provide the knowledge and skills to perform an accurate nutrient analysis.

Learning Outcomes The information contained in this manual will enable readers to:

1. Explain the purpose of a nutrient analysis and the nutrition goals of the USDA Nutrition

Standards.

2. Select USDA-approved nutrient analysis software which will meet the needs of the State agency.

3. Describe key nutrient analysis points for schools to consider when selecting food items and quantities from the Child Nutrition (CN) Database.

4. Assemble materials necessary to conduct or validate a nutrient analysis.

5. Correctly enter data for food items (ingredients), recipes, menus, and school/SFA data following nutrient analysis protocols for school nutrition programs.

6. Discuss common data entry errors and how to prevent/identify mistakes.

7. Perform nutrient analyses, evaluate data, and revise menus, if needed.

8. Create reports.

Chapter 2:

The Dietary Specifications

A dietary specification is the required level of calories, saturated fat, trans fat, or sodium for a specific age/grade group. The Dietary Specifications were established to serve as a measure of the nutritional quality of school meals.

Regulations require that breakfast and/or lunch menus offered and averaged over a week meet the Dietary Specifications for the age/grade group for which they are intended. The Dietary Specifications for breakfast and lunch must be evaluated separately.

Four Dietary Specifications:

Weekly average requirements:

• Calories (range)

• Saturated Fat (maximum)

• Sodium (maximum)

Daily requirement restriction:

• Trans Fat (maximum)

For total calories, minimums and maximums are established by age/grade group and must be met on average over the school week. By keeping calories within the acceptable ranges, menu planners ensure adequate, consistent calorie levels to meet children’s energy and development needs, while also reducing the risk of overconsumption.

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, you will understand how to:

1. Discuss Dietary Specifications requirements for school meals.

2. Explain Dietary Specifications requirements related to USDA-defined age/grade groups.

HELPFUL TIP

Menu planners should select nutrient dense foods and ingredients, and avoid products that are high in fats, added sugars, and added sodium.

In order to reduce trans fat, sodium, and the percentage of calories from saturated fat, the Dietary Specifications for these are maximums.

Food products and ingredients used daily must contain zero grams of trans fat per serving (naturally occurring trans fats are exempt). It is important to note trans fat will not be evaluated in the nutrient analysis, therefore the State agency must review nutrition labeling or manufacturer specifications for products or ingredients used to prepare school meals to verify they contain zero grams (less than 0.5 grams) of trans fat per serving.

Meeting a Child's Overall Nutrient Needs:

USDA recognizes that the Dietary Specifications do not include all the nutrients for which Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) have been established. The required meal pattern (components and quantities) ensures that children are offered foods that contain certain amounts vitamins and minerals required for optimal growth and development. Therefore, following the meal pattern requirements, and monitoring the nutrients for which Dietary Specifications have been established, should ensure that children’s overall nutrient needs are met.

Nutrition research indicates that, for optimum health, humans need an array of biologically-active compounds that occur in a variety of foods (e.g., fruits, vegetables, whole grains). USDA is committed to the principle that school meals be comprised of an assortment of foods which provide naturally occurring nutrients, as recommended in the Dietary Guidelines, rather than formulated foods which have been artificially fortified.

Nutrition Standards for Meals

The meal patterns are designed to reflect different nutrient and calorie needs of students and accommodate the grade structure in the majority of schools. USDA has also established age/grade group-specific Dietary Specifications.

Required Age/Grade Groups for Meal Pattern: Breakfast and Lunch

* Grades K-5

* Grades 6-8

* Grades 9-12

Single Menu Allowable for Lunch K-8

If a K-8 school is unable to offer different meal patterns for grades K-5 and grades 6-8 students, the menu planner may offer students in these grades the same quantities of food components because the lunch meal pattern requirements for the K-5 and 6-8 age/grade groups narrowly overlap. However, the school district would have to be careful to meet the sodium and calorie requirements for each age/grade group. For example, if a single menu is offered to grades K-8, it must comply with the K-5 sodium requirement (also compliant with the grades 6-8 requirement); furthermore, average calories must be in the range where the K-5 and 6-8 requirements overlap (i.e., between 600-650 calories for lunch).

If one menu is served to K-8 students, a single nutrient analysis may be conducted for K-8, however it may be advantageous to run separate analyses if the nutrient analysis is not meeting the Dietary Specifications to determine where the menu may need to be adjusted.

Single Menu Allowable for Breakfast K-12

The same concept occurs with breakfast. There is overlap in the Dietary Specifications for all grade groups for breakfast; therefore it is possible to meet all the Dietary Specifications with one breakfast menu (K-12). A single weighted analysis may be conducted however the sodium and calorie requirements for each age/grade group must meet the overlap of all three age grade groups. For example a K-12 breakfast menu must provide between 450-500 calories and comply with the K-5 sodium requirements. It may be advantageous to run separate analyses for each age/grade group if the nutrient analysis is not meeting the Dietary Specifications to determine where the menu may need to be adjusted.

Chapter 3:

Key Nutrient Analysis Concepts

Overview of the Software Database (including the Child Nutrition (CN) Database)

An accurate nutrient analysis is critical in assessing compliance with dietary specifications. In cooperation with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), FNS developed the CN Database to provide accurate, reliable, and centralized nutrient data for analysis of school meals. All USDA-approved software includes the CN Database.

The CN Database contains the nutrient profiles of food items commonly used in SFAs/schools and contains nutrients that are monitored by the Child Nutrition Program.

The CN Database includes:

• Selected food items from the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference;

• USDA foods;

• Nutrient profiles for USDA Recipes and Recipes for Healthy Kids;

• Many brand name commercially prepared foods provided by food industry; and

• Yield information from USDA’s Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs.

These files are locked, which means the information in these files may be accessed and copied, but may not be altered by the local user.

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, you will understand how to:

3. Define the Child Nutrition (CN) Database.

4. Explain what constitutes a school week for a nutrient analysis.

5. Discuss weighted averages.

6. Summarize the Yield Factor Method used for recipe analysis.

7. Explain the difference between whole foods and fortified foods.

Database requirements for USDA-approved nutrient analysis software programs:

• Software must contain the most current version of the CN Database.

• The software may include brand name food items with nutrient data that has been supplied directly to the software vendors by food industry. The user must be able to differentiate between food industry items in the CN Database and food industry items added by the software developers.

• Foods and recipes added by the software vendor or by the user must have the source designated as “Local.”

All Foods Are Included in the Nutrient Analysis

All food or menu items offered in a reimbursable meal, including condiments/accompaniments, are included in the nutrient analysis and count toward meeting the Dietary Specifications for the meal.

Schools may offer extra foods (e.g., ice cream, pudding) that do not credit toward any food component required in a reimbursable meal. Extra foods offered must be included in the nutrient analysis and count toward the limits on calories, saturated fat, sodium, and trans fat.

Foods that are considered Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV) under 7 CFR Parts 210 and 220, Appendices B (i.e., chewing gum, soda water, water ices, and certain candies) are included in the nutrient analysis calculations only if they are used as a garnish in a menu item. For example, even though jelly beans are a food of FMNV, a menu planner would include them in the nutrient analysis if they are used as a cake decoration.

Appendix C provides more information on Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value. [NOTE: When Standards for All Foods Sold in School are implemented on July 1, 2014, the Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value category will be eliminated. For additional information, see the Smart Snacks Interim Final Rule at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-06-28/pdf/2013-15249.pdf.]

Only reimbursable meals are included in nutrient analyses. Therefore, adult meals and a la carte sales must not be included in nutrient analyses.

Are foods served to students with special needs included in the nutrient analysis?

1. When food or menu item substitutions are made for students with special dietary needs, the meals are not included in the nutrient analysis.

2. If food or menu items served to students with special dietary needs are the same menu items served to the entire age/grade group, only modified for texture, the food or menu items are included in the nutrient analysis.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-06-28/pdf/2013-15249.pdf

Nutrients Calculated “As Consumed” or “Edible Form”

A nutrient analysis is conducted to calculate the nutrients in the finished food products as they will be consumed by students. It is important to note that recipes for nutrient analysis, including the ingredients used in the recipes, may be very different from the standardized recipe that the cook uses in food production. This is because many of the ingredients in a standardized food production or cook’s recipe may be in the “as purchased” form such as raw ground beef, raw chopped onions and raw green pepper for a meatloaf — which will then be prepared or cooked from scratch in the school kitchen(s). The nutrient content of foods may vary greatly depending on the method of preparation. As foods cook, they may lose moisture and nutrients. All ingredients in recipes prepared “from scratch” must be entered into the computer using the Yield Factor Method to account for the changes in nutrient values due to preparation and cooking.

The Yield Factor Method will be explained in more detail during the discussion of the procedures for entering recipes in Chapter 8.

Nutrients Averaged over the School Week

State agencies will monitor calories, saturated fat, and sodium in the meals served to students in grades K -12. Breakfast and lunch menus are analyzed over one school week within the review period. When evaluating the Dietary Specifications, state agencies may not combine breakfast and lunch analyses.

Definition of School Week

For the purposes of nutrient analysis, a school week represents a normal school week of five consecutive days. To accommodate weeks that are either shorter or longer than the five consecutive days, the analyzed week should contain a minimum of three consecutive days and a maximum of seven consecutive days. When school lunches are offered less than three times in a week, combine these menus with either the previous week’s menus or the subsequent week’s menus.

YIELD FACTOR METHOD

A method for nutrient analysis of recipes that requires that each raw recipe ingredient be converted and entered in the recipe database as ready-to-serve or cooked. If the database does not include raw-to-cooked yield for a specific ingredient, use the yield data from USDA’s Food

Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs to convert from the raw to the cooked form.

For example, during the week of Thanksgiving, an SFA/school serves lunch only two days that week. Those two days could be combined with either the week before or the week after Thanksgiving. The same situation might arise around other holiday periods or during the first and last weeks of school.

By combining a menu week that only has one or two days in it with another week, the school avoids problems in meeting the Dietary Specifications that can result from analyzing a small sample of meals.

Weighted Averages National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) regulations require weighted averages for conducting nutrient analyses. A weighted nutrient analysis gives more weight to nutrients in popular foods that are more frequently selected by students. Weighted analyses allows for a greater contribution of nutrients to come from menu items that are selected more often and less nutrient contribution from those menu items selected less often.

More discussion of weighted averages will be provided in Chapter 9.

Whole Foods Versus Fortification USDA is committed to the fundamental Dietary Guidelines premise that nutrients should come primarily from foods. Nutrient dense foods contain essential vitamins and minerals that are often contained in nutrient supplements, and also contain dietary fiber and other biologically active compounds (e.g., flavenoids, carotenoids, and other phytonutrients) that may have positive health effects.

Schools offering meals that contain a variety of nutrient dense foods, especially dark green red and orange vegetables; beans and peas; whole grains; and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, will meet Dietary Guidelines.

School meals also provide an opportunity to teach children about healthful eating. Learning to make food choices to nourish and optimize health is an important and valuable life skill.

Consequently, it is essential for children to learn about, and recognize, foods and the variety of nutrients they provide.

Chapter 4

Selecting Software for Nutrient Analysis

USDA-Approved Nutrient Analysis Software Programs USDA approves software to be used for the Administrative Review to ensure valid and consistent nutrient data.

• State agencies must use USDA-approved software when conducting a nutrient analysis.

• SFAs/schools conducting their own nutrient analysis must use USDA-approved software if they want the State agency to accept their nutrient analysis for the Administrative Review.

CN Database in Approved Software

To be eligible for USDA approval, the nutrient analysis software program must contain the current CN Database developed specifically for analysis of school meals. Software manufacturers are expected to update their software within 90 days of the date a new CN database version is released.

USDA-approved software programs allow you to:

• Enter the nutrient data of a new food item from a Nutrition Facts label or from a manufacturer’s nutrient analysis data report.

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, you will understand how to:

• Select software for nutrient analysis.

• Explain the various functions that USDA-approved software programs allow.

• Choose an approved nutrient analysis program.

Using Software with the Most Current CN Database

Federal guidelines require USDA-approved nutrient analysis software developers to update their customers with the most recent CN Database release to remain approved for use in Child Nutrition Programs. State agencies and SFAs are encouraged to work with their software vendor to ensure that they are using software with the most current CN Database version. Each revision contains updated nutrient data, new commercially prepared items, and USDA Foods nutrient information. A list of USDA-approved software is available on the Healthy Meals Resource System website:

http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/menu-planning/nutrient-analysis-software-approved-usda/nutrient-analysis-software-approved-use.

http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/menu-planning/nutrient-analysis-software-approved-usda/nutrient-analysis-software-approved-use http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/menu-planning/nutrient-analysis-software-approved-usda/nutrient-analysis-software-approved-use http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/menu-planning/nutrient-analysis-software-approved-usda/nutrient-analysis-software-approved-use

• Enter, modify and analyze recipes.

• Plan, copy, or modify menus for a 3- to 7-day school week.

• Compare nutrient analysis of the weekly breakfast or lunch menu to a specific nutrient standard and indicate when standards are not being met.

• Search the database for food items containing specific nutrients in order to modify menus to meet the nutrient standard.

• Create reports, such as nutrient composition, menus, and recipe analysis.

A more detailed description of the software program requirements and functions is provided in Appendix D.

Choosing an Approved Nutrient Analysis Software Program

Differences in Software Programs

While the USDA-approved software programs must include the functions outlined in Appendix D, there are still many differences between the USDA-approved software programs.

• Some programs perform only nutrient analysis.

• Some programs are part of a larger system that include many other school foodservice software modules, such as Free and Reduced Price modules, Food Production modules, and Inventory modules.

• Operating system and hardware requirements vary.

The SFA/school and State agency will need to do some research to find the program that best meets the needs of your school district/school or State agency. Confer with your computer personnel to ensure software compatibility with existing hardware.

Questions to Consider When Selecting Software

• Do you need software that does only nutrient analysis, or do you want related program applications that perform many functions such as procurement, inventory, enhanced production records, etc.?

• Do you want a Windows-based system? A networked system?

• What are the hardware requirements? Will current hardware support the software requirements? Check with your technology support team in the State agency or SFA for guidance.

• Are you able to participate in a demonstration of the software program at a conference or through other means?

• Can you visit a site that is using the software program in which you are interested?

• How easy is the program to use for entering data? Consider who will be using the program and staff computer literacy.

• How efficient is the overall nutrient analysis process? How well does the “search” feature help you locate food items (ingredients) and recipes in the database?

• Are reports easy to understand? Is it easy to interpret the results of the nutrient analysis and modify the recipes and menus to adjust results?

• How often is the software updated? Will the updates be provided as part of your initial cost or be separately priced? What are the update costs?

• What will the software package initially cost for one school/for the district? Consider how many copies or licenses for the software will be needed.

• What support is available? Online, telephone, on site? What does it cost?

NOTE: USDA only reviews and monitors the CN Database and software functions that relate directly to nutrient analyses and meal pattern contributions. USDA does not review or approve other functions added by software vendors.

Chapter 5:

Overview of Conducting a Nutrient Analysis

The exact steps to conducting a nutrient analysis may vary slightly among software programs, but there are similar functions. Menu planners and State agency staff must understand and carefully follow the procedures or protocols for each step to conduct an accurate nutrient analysis, regardless of the software program.

Detailed descriptions of each step will be provided in the following chapters but initially the user must understand several principles or concepts prior to conducting a nutrient analysis.

Before beginning the process of entering new food items into the nutrient analysis software database, the user should understand how the software database has been developed.

Contents of the Nutrient Analysis Software Database

There are two parts to the software database:

1. Child Nutrition (CN) Database

All USDA-approved nutrient analysis software programs must contain the most current version of the CN Database. All files in the CN Database are locked which means they cannot be modified or deleted by the user. The CN Database includes:

• USDA Standard Reference Foods or Ingredients: The CN Database contains foods or ingredients most commonly used in school meals from the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. These foods or ingredients are identified in the software database under the Source as USDA Nutrient Database.

• Commercially Prepared Foods: FNS contracts with a private company to manage the CN Database. Because SFAs/schools use numerous commercially prepared products, CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, you will understand how to:

• Use the CN Database in conjunction with vendor-added and user-added data.

• List the five steps needed to conduct a nutrient analysis.

The USDA-approved nutrient analysis software contains foods or ingredients in the CN Database and also allows the user to add, modify, and delete food or ingredient items and recipes in the local database.

manufacturers are encouraged to submit nutritional information for their products so they can be added to the CN Database. This saves data entry time for local school districts/schools and State agencies and makes nutritional information on those products available nationwide. A sample of the form to be completed by manufacturers for submission of data is included in Appendix F. These food products or ingredients are identified in the software database under the Source as Food Industry.

• USDA Foods: The CN Database contains the current USDA foods available to school districts/schools. These food products or ingredients are identified in the software database under the Source as USDA Foods. The CN Database does not include USDA Foods that are processed under State processing contracts. For more information about USDA Foods, see http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/foods/healthy/ToolKit.htm.

• USDA Food Buying Guide Yield Data: The CN Database contains yield data from the Food Buying Guide as a tool to assist the menu planner in determining raw-to-cooked yields for recipe analysis. It also provides yield data for many other foods from an as purchased form (AP) to the edible portion (EP) of the food. This yield data is also useful for volume/weight conversions from the purchase unit, e.g., can size to cups, cups per pound, and cans to weight.

• USDA Recipes and Recipes for Healthy Kids: The CN Database contains all current USDA-standardized quantity recipes for school foodservice. Only the nutrient information is included — not the recipe ingredients and directions. If a school uses the USDA recipe exactly as displayed on the recipe card (first listed ingredient when alternates are listed and no optional ingredients), the nutrient analysis for the USDA quantity recipes in the CN Database is the most accurate selection for menu analysis.

Some software companies have entered the USDA standardized quantity recipes into a separate recipe database, with each ingredient listed, to make it easier for school districts/schools to modify the recipes. USDA Recipes for Schools are available at:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Resources/usda_recipes.html. Recipes for Healthy Kids are available at: http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/r4hk_schools.html.

2. Local Database

In addition to the CN Database, some software manufacturers include nutrient data in their local databases for the following:

• Commercially prepared products, and

Companies that want their products entered into the CN Database should visit the Healthy School Meals Resource System website at:

http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/online-web-tool-submitting-nutrient-data-0

Review local databases and vendor-added recipes for accuracy

• USDA does not review local databases for accuracy. State agencies and SFAs are cautioned that these local databases may not have the same quality control and/or monitoring as the CN Database, and may contain errors and/or missing data.

• USDA does not review recipes entered by software vendors for accuracy and adherence to nutrient analysis protocols. School districts/schools and State agencies are cautioned to carefully review vendor-added recipes to ensure that nutrient analysis protocols are followed, if these recipes are used for nutrient analyses.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/foods/healthy/ToolKit.htm http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Resources/usda_recipes.html http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/r4hk_schools.html http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/online-web-tool-submitting-nutrient-data-0

• Raw-to-cooked yield data for certain products

These vendor-added commercially prepared food products or ingredients are identified in the software database under the Source as Local.

All USDA-approved software also allows the user to:

• Enter the nutrient data for new food items, and

• Enter, modify, and analyze recipes.

These user-added or modified food products and recipes should be identified in the software database under the Source as Local.

Overview of Steps for Conducting a Nutrient Analysis

STEP 1

Preparing for Nutrient Analysis – Gathering the Materials

This process will be discussed in-depth in Chapter 6. Materials include:

• Breakfast and lunch menus including menu choices and portion sizes for each age/grade group and menu type.

• Standardized recipes, including USDA Recipes and local recipes that will be used in the menus.

• Description or specifications for all food products used in the menus.

• Nutrient information for ingredients used in recipes that are not included in the software database,

• Food production records to assist in weighting the more frequently selected items and document if reimbursable meals were offered to students. If this is an entirely new set of menus this information may not be available until the menus for an entire menu cycle have been served.

STEP 2

Entering Food Items (Ingredients) into the Local Database

This process will be discussed further in Chapter 7 and includes:

• Reviewing the recipes to be used in the cycle menus (SFA) or the review week’s menus for the school (State agency) and identifying ingredients missing in the software database.

• Entering the missing ingredients, including volume and weight measurements, and nutrient information.

How Food Manufacturers Provide Nutrient Information Manufacturers provide nutrient analysis information in one of two ways — as purchased or as served.

• As purchased nutrient analysis data represents the nutritional content of a weight and/or a volume or other measurable amount of the product exactly as it is purchased;

that is, the nutrients contained in a certain amount of an unprepared cornbread mix or an unbaked prepared whole grain pizza or pre-fried egg roll. Note: “The Nutrition Facts” labels on products are required to provide “as purchased” data. A sample copy of a Nutrition Facts Label is included in Appendix E.

• As served nutrient analysis data provides the nutrient values for a product after it has been further prepared. For example, cornbread mix will provide as purchased data on the unprepared mix and may also provide as served data on the mix when prepared according to package instructions.

Food Products Used “As Purchased” For ready-to-serve products, i.e., foods that only require chilling, heating and/or portioning and are used as purchased, use the nutrient data exactly as provided on the food product and enter it into the ingredient database.

Food Products Prepared According to Manufacturer’s “As Served” Nutrient Information When a manufacturer provides as served nutrient analysis information, specifies the cooking method, and the school foodservice prepares the food exactly according to directions, use the nutrient data exactly as provided on the food product and enter it into the ingredient database.

Food Products Requiring Further Preparation For purchased products that do require further preparation, if the manufacturer has not provided “as served” nutrient information, or the SFA uses a differing preparation method, the user must develop a recipe for this prepared ingredient. This will be further described in Chapter 8.

HELPFUL TIP

When entering new ingredients, always indicate whether the nutrient data is “as purchased” or “as served,” and indicate the cooking method.

STEP 3

Adding Recipes to the Local Database

Select the correct food items from the database for each recipe in the menus. The person who adds recipes to the software for the nutrient analysis must have knowledge of the foods that are purchased and how they will be prepared and served in order to select the correct item for the recipes. The software, including the CN Database, contains multiple entries (and different nutrient content) of the same food item, based on the varieties, types, and forms of the food item and different preparation methods.

Recipes are nutritionally analyzed based on the form in which the food is consumed. If quantity recipes include raw ingredients that will be cooked or further prepared before consuming, they will need conversion to the edible form of the ingredient. This is referred to as the Yield Factor Method and will be further discussed in Chapter 8.

Basic Rules for the Yield Factor Method

• Use the form and portion of the food as offered.

• Select raw if not heated or cooked.

• Select cooked (or a cooked preparation method) if cooked before serving, using the database food code for the cooked ingredient.

Convert or adjust the amount of the raw ingredient in the recipe by using a yield factor from the Food Buying Guide. Some commonly used cooked food products in schools have a raw-to-cooked conversion factor included in the software. If this option is available, it will eliminate the need to convert the raw weight to the cooked yield.

STEP 4

Entering Specific Menu Planning Data

The order of this process may differ between software programs, but the data needed to complete the nutrient analysis is common among programs.

• Identify menu name(s) or site names and associated age/grade group for each menu type offered.

What is the Yield Factor Method?

Yield Factor Method is a method for nutrient analysis of recipes that requires that each raw ingredient be converted and entered into the recipe database as ready-to-serve or cooked.

If the database does not include raw-to-cooked yield information for a specific ingredient, use yield data from USDA’s Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs to convert from the raw to the cooked form.

• Identify menu or meal type, such as breakfast or lunch.

• Develop individual menus or link to cycle menus.

• Assign dates to menus and determine a date range for each nutrient analysis, as defined by the school week.

• Determine the number of servings of reimbursable meals and the serving sizes of food or menu items.

• Create the reports for review.

STEP 5

Evaluating and Modifying Menus and Recipes to Comply with Dietary Specifications Requirements

• Review menus for variety.

• Review the weekly nutrient analyses, noting Dietary Specifications that have not been met.

• If necessary, modify the menus to meet the Dietary Specifications.

• Reanalyze menus when menus/food items change, products change, recipes change, or when participation or student selections change.

Chapter 6:

Preparing for a Nutrient Analysis

Information and Materials Needed for Nutrient Analyses Whether you are an SFA conducting your own analysis, or a State agency conducting analysis during an Administrative Review, you will need to have the following materials ready and available to conduct an accurate nutrient analysis.

1. Menus

When the State agency conducts a nutrient analysis as part of an Administrative Review of an SFA, State staff will choose one week within the review period to evaluate the dietary specifications for breakfast and lunch at the selected school. The site is selected based on results from the Meal Compliance Risk Assessment Tool. The State agency will collect the menu documentation for each USDA established age/grade group and menu types offered at breakfast and lunch and conduct a weighted nutrient analysis of all menu and food items, including condiments, offered as part of the reimbursable meal. In other words, a separate nutrient analysis is required for each age/grade group at the selected review site and if the review site has different menu offerings for different segments of students in the school, separate analyses are required for each population segment.

Example:

A school serving 6-12 graders plans two different lunch menus, one menu for 6-8 and another menu for 9-12. In this case, the school is offering two different lunch menus for different segments of students in the school. The SA will need to conduct two weighted nutrient analyses for lunch: one for the 6-8th grade students and one for 9-12th grade students to ensure each menu type meets the dietary specifications.

If the SFA or school district is conducting its own nutrient analysis of menus — the SFA will need a complete set of draft or tentative menus prepared for data entry. Written menus should

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, you will understand how to:

• Collect the necessary materials and information for conducting a nutrient analysis.

• Collect nutrient data or information for food items that are not listed in the CN Database.

include all menu or food choices with portion sizes to be served to each USDA established grade/age groupings and menu type for breakfast and lunch.

Most SFAs plan centralized cycle menus. School districts that conduct nutrient analyses find that cycle menus, repeated on a periodic basis, save time and resources. For purposes of the Administrative Review, nutrient analyses must be for the targeted menu review site only, not a SFA-wide nutrient analysis.

2. Standardized Recipes

In order to ensure that the nutrient analysis reflects what is offered, all schools must use standardized recipes. Standardized recipes are those that have been tried and tested and found to be acceptable to students, have the same ingredients and method of preparation, and provide a consistent yield.

Standardized recipes should be available for input into the nutrient analysis software or be available to provide to the State agency during an Administrative Review.

3. Food Product Descriptions or Specifications

The school district should have written food product descriptions or specifications for all foods used in the schools — not only as a purchasing tool but also for determining which product or ingredient to select from the software for the analysis.

School districts that use procurement software can provide food product descriptions for each food product. This allows the school district/school menu planner or State agency staff to select the correct ingredient from the software database when conducting nutrient analysis.

4. Nutrient Data or Information for Food Products Not in the Database

Identify food products not in the CN Database or in your software’s local database.

• Review menus and the standardized recipes to be used for the preparation of the menus.

• Compare to the software to determine if all food items or ingredients are included.

Examples of Food Product Descriptions:

• Ground beef, frozen, no more than 20% fat

• Milk, unflavored, 1% low-fat

For single ingredient foods or foods in the USDA Food Buying Guide, the nutrient data for most products will already be in the CN Database. Examples of single ingredient foods are fruits, vegetables, and milk.

For food products with more than one ingredient, the food may be in the CN Database or it may not, depending upon whether the food has a standard of identity or the product manufacturer has submitted the product information for inclusion in the CN Database. Some software manufacturers also include a limited number of commercially prepared products in their ingredient database. These will be labeled as Local.

• If the product is not in the CN Database or your software’s local database, you will need to locate the nutrient information for the product.

• Sources of nutrient data other than CN Database are:

o Nutrition Facts Labels, often found on institutional-sized product packaging, even though they are not required. A sample Nutrition Facts Label is shown in Appendix E.

o Nutrient data provided by the manufacturer. A nutrient analysis data form you can ask the manufacturer to complete is included in Appendix F.

o Nutrient analysis data from another reliable source, such as USDA’s Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, available at: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/

5. Food Production Records

All SFAs/schools are required to document the foods served to students as part of a reimbursable meal. In addition to ensuring that meals served adhere to meal requirements, production records also provide valuable information for conducting nutrient analyses of foods offered to children.

Food production records must include:

• Number of reimbursable meals planned, offered, and actually served;

• All menu items (or food items) planned, offered, and served for reimbursable meals including milk type(s) and condiments/accompaniments;

• Portion or serving sizes for each age/grade group;

• Recipes used (note if USDA recipe, or local recipe);

• Brand names, CN label numbers (if desired), and identification numbers of commercially prepared food products;

http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/

• Total amounts of foods planned, offered, and actually selected/served;

• Documentation of a la carte, adult, and/or other non-reimbursable meals, including number of portions for each of these food items; and

• Documentation of substitutions and/or leftovers used.

A Menu Planner for Healthy School Meals (revised edition forthcoming) provides more information on documenting food production records and provides several sample food production record forms. Additionally, many State agencies have developed State prototypes or sample food production records for use by school districts/schools within the State. Several foodservice software companies—including companies that have approved nutrient analysis software—have software applications that can be used for creating computerized school-level food production records.

Planned, Offered & Selected/Served: what’s the difference?

Planned: A planned menu is what the menu planner intends to offer to students.

Offered: An offered menu is what is actually prepared and set out on the line(s) for students. Offered menus may differ from “planned” menus because, for example, a planned food item was not received and the menu planner had to offer a different food item.

Selected/Served: Selected refers to which food items were actually taken by students.

Chapter 7:

Entering Food Items (Ingredients) into the Local Database

How to Enter Data for New Food Products or Ingredients

By this time, all of the recipes and food items or ingredients to be used in the nutrient analysis should have been identified.

Unless the food product description found in the CN Database or local software database exactly matches the food item your SFA/school is using, you’ll need to create a new entry for each food item or ingredient using the nutrient data you obtained, and save it in the SFA local database.

Steps for entering new food items/ingredients into the software database:

Follow directions provided by your software program to add a food item or ingredient. The following are general steps to enter a new food item or ingredient.

STEP 1

Assign each new food product an identification number

Some software applications allow the user to assign an identification number while others assign identification numbers automatically. Some software also marks locally entered food items with a specific code. Enter an identification number for the new food item/ingredient or use the number assigned by your software.

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, you will understand how to:

• Enter food items/ingredients into the local database, step-by-step.

• Delete and modify ingredients in the local database.

HELPFUL TIP

Some State agency staff and SFAs find it helpful to write the database identification code number next to each ingredient on the copied standardized recipes. This helps identify ingredients that are missing in the database and reduces data entry time.

STEP 2

Enter a description of the food item/ingredient

Give the food item/ingredient a basic name and then add a short description that will help you locate and identify this food item/ingredient in the future (e.g., fully-cooked, frozen, raw).

Some people find it helpful to include the brand name in the description.

STEP 3

Enter a food category for the food item/ingredient

Assigning a food category makes it easier to conduct a search for the food items.

STEP 4

Identify the source of the data as “Local.”

For any food item entered by the local user, the source is always identified as “Local.”

STEP 5

If the product is commercially prepared, enter the name of the manufacturer and/or brand name.

The brand name of a commercially prepared product can be very important in ensuring that the correct food item/ingredient is chosen from the database.

STEP 6

Enter the unit(s) of measurement for the food item/ingredient.

Add weight measure(s) for all different sized portions and/or weight/volume measures, if appropriate. It is important that the user enter correct measurement information from the label or other document, as all conversions are based on this entry(s). For items served by volume, a weight/volume relationship must be established.