CACFP Resources CACFP Administrative Manual Section 16.2

CACFP Administrative Manual Section 16.2

Table of Contents
Terms, Definitions, and Acronyms

Section 16: Administrative Review Process for Compliance with the CACFP Meal Patterns

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reviewers will verify compliance with the CACFP meal pattern requirements for two timeframes during the administrative review process:

  • The month of the administrative review (Section 16.1)
  • The day of the administrative review (Section 16.2)

Outlined below is the preliminary review process; however, an expanded review may occur if the reviewer considers it necessary.

16.2 Analyzing Meals Served on the Day of the Meal Observation

Menu

The CACFP operator must provide the CDSS CACFP reviewer with the dated menu for the day so the reviewer can ensure the meal observed matches the menu, all required meal components are included, and food items are creditable toward the meal pattern requirements.

Child care centers and adult day care centers must also include the serving sizes of each food item provided to each age group Note: At-risk afterschool care centers, emergency shelters, and day care home providers are not required to document serving sizes on menus.

Product Labels

The reviewer will request product labels that include the name of the food, Nutrition Facts label, and Ingredients lists from all packaged foods, including foods used as ingredients in recipes, to ensure that the meal pattern requirements for meals served that day were met.

CACFP operators are required to retain product labels from packaged foods only until the end of each day during the year of their administrative review in case of an unannounced meal observation by CDSS CACFP reviewers. If the product labels are not available during the day of the meal observation because meals were not prepared onsite or for another justifiable reason, the CACFP operator has five business days to provide the reviewer with a copy of these documents.

The reviewer will look at the product labels to determine the following:

  • For infants only: Infant formula served (including infant formula brought from home) contained at least 1 milligram of iron per 100 calories and is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (unless supported by a signed medical statement).
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  • For infants only:
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    • All infant cereal served at meals and snacks were made from dry, iron-fortified infant cereal.
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    • Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals (only allowable for infants at snacks) were either fortified or an enriched or whole grain, and contained no more than 6 grams (g) of added sugars per dry ounce (oz).
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  • Fluid milk served to children and adults did not exceed the fat content allowable for the age of the participant and flavored milk was not served to participants five years of age and younger. Note: In California, the Healthy Beverages in Child Care Act does not allow licensed child care centers and day care home providers to serve flavored beverages to children of any age.
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  • Nondairy fluid milk substitutes served to participants (without a medical statement) met the federal nutrient requirements for fluid milk requirements for fluid milk substitutes per Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations [7 CFR], Section 226.20 (g)(3)(ii). Note: Simply providing the nondairy milk substitute’s name and brand is not considered sufficient documentation. Reviewers will request to see the Nutrition Facts label.
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  • Breakfast cereals contained no more than 6 g of added sugars per dry oz, and were either a fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereal or a whole grain, enriched grain, bran, or germ. For more information on determining creditable breakfast cereals, access the USDA Policy Memorandum CACFP 05–2025, Grain Requirements in the CACFP, Questions and Answers (Q&A).
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  • Grain food items (other than breakfast cereals) were either a whole grain, enriched grain, meal or flour, bran, or germ. For more information on determining creditable grains, access the USDA Policy Memorandum CACFP 05–2025, Grain Requirements in the CACFP, Q&A.
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  • Whole grain-rich (WGR) food items met the criteria for WGR listed in the USDA Policy Memorandum CACFP 05–2025, Grain Requirements in the CACFP, Q&A. Documentation required to demonstrate the food item met the criteria for WGR will depend upon which method listed in the USDA policy memo was used.
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  • Tofu was commercially prepared, easily recognizable as a meat substitute (e.g., sausage link, tofu chunks in a stir fry), and contained at least 5 g of protein per 2.2 oz (equivalent to ¼ cup).
     
  • Yogurt contains no more than 12 g of added sugars per 6 oz.

All food items served as part of CACFP reimbursable meals must be included in the USDA Food Buying Guide (FBG), or have a Child Nutrition (CN) Label or product formulation statement (PFS) on file which shows the contribution to the meal pattern in one serving. Note: Most processed meat/meat alternates and commercially-prepared combination foods are not included in the USDA FBG and require a CN Label or a PFS to be served as part of reimbursable meals and snacks.

Additional Meal-related Documentation

The reviewer will request the following meal-related documents (which must be kept on file) to substantiate that the CACFP meal requirements were met on the day of the onsite meal observation:

  • Medical statements signed by a State licensed healthcare professional or registered dietitian for participants with a disability that require meal modifications that do not meet the meal pattern requirements.
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  • Written requests stating the reason for the request, from a child’s parent or guardian, an adult participant, a person on behalf of an adult participant, a State licensed healthcare professional, or a registered dietitian for a creditable fluid milk substitutes for participants with a disability (unless a medical statement is on file for a fluid milk substitute) and for participants with a dietary preference.
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  • Documentation for all creditable meal or snack modifications for participants with a disability, (unless a medical statement is on file) and for participants with a dietary preference.
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  • For infants only: Written notification from the CACFP operator to parents that an iron-fortified infant formula is provided, or a signed written statement from a parent or guardian who denies the formula provided by the CACFP operator and instead chooses to provide an alternate iron fortified infant formula or breastmilk.
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  • For infants only: Containers of expressed breast milk are labeled with the infant’s name and date, and stored in a refrigerator kept at 40° Fahrenheit (4° Celsius) or below for up to four days from the date the breastmilk was expressed. Previously frozen breast milk that is thawed and stored in the refrigerator should be used within 24 hours and should never be refrozen.
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Note: Reviewers have the authority to request additional documentation on additional days (extending beyond the day of the meal observation) if needed to verify compliance.

Regulations, Policies, and Resources

Regulations

USDA Policies

Resources

Questions: CACFPinfo@dss.ca.gov


This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Esta institución es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.

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CDSS Child and Adult Care Food Program
744 P Street, MS 9-13-290
Sacramento, CA 95814
833-559-2418
CACFPInfo@dss.ca.gov