CKC Good Food Undergoes MDE Review

Every year, CKC Good Food helps 10-15 client partners prepare for their USDA Administrative Review, which confirms compliance with regulations of federal food programs. Director of Compliance Laurie Yohn, SNS, DTR, CFPM meets with clients to get their documentation in order and walk through a mock onsite review. Her assistance reassures client partners the review will go smoothly.

CKC Good Food has lots of experience with Administrative Reviews of our own as well. A reviewer from the Minnesota Department of Education does an onsite review at our central commissary EVERY year … not just once every five years!

We recently completed this year’s review, with Laurie guiding the half-day meeting with Nicole Barron, MBA, MPH, RD, School Nutrition Supervisor from MDE Food and Nutrition Services. Several of our team members provided Nicole a thorough review of our processes and procedures that ensure we “check all the boxes” to comply with USDA regulations related to:

• Menus: She reviewed our records for weekly menus, standardized recipes, CN labels and food production records. Anyone who has worked with Laurie knows, she is meticulous with these records! She also explained our portion guides and offer vs. serve procedures and training.

• HACCP Procedures: Much of the morning was spent in the kitchen, reviewing time and temperature logs, and cleaning protocols. Kitchen Manager Joel Wight organized a mountain of logs ahead of Nicole’s visit! We record temperatures when food is removed from the ovens, when transferred to holding cabinets, as drivers are loading food for delivery, and when food arrives at the serving sites. She also confirmed how frequently the thermometers are checked for accuracy (weekly). Joel and Cold Prep Manager Chris Olson responded to Nicole’s questions as she toured the kitchen.

• Procurement: Procurement and Warehouse Manager Justin Kilmer gave Nicole a tour of our warehouse and cold storage units and reviewed our receiving logs and non-domestic food log, which itemizes ethnic foods that don’t conform to the Buy American Act. While exceptions are currently granted for foods not available domestically, such as pineapple, mandarin oranges and fish sauce, Nicole explained the USDA is considering limiting those purchases to no more than 10% of total items procured. Our non-domestic purchases are currently below that threshold.

• Menu Development and Ordering: Logistics Coordinator Tyler Lowry provided an overview of how clients order meals and Director of Strategic Planning Ambika Senthilvel discussed the process for making substitutions in the published menus. Prep Tags Coordinator explained how we determine the quantity of food to send to each client site. Ambika also provided an in-depth look at our process to serve those who have food allergies. Nicole said she appreciated learning about our “super thorough” allergen meal process!

All in all, our review was extremely positive, with only two very minor recommendations for improvements. We appreciate Nicole’s time and feedback on our work and partnerships with our clients. Her input will help us continue to refine our processes for nourishing bodies, minds and cultures!