Hello and welcome to the USDA foods Introductory Training. This training is
designed for school nutrition directors and supervisors that have been employed
for less than one year or anyone who needs refresher on how to maximize their
entitlement dollars or USDA food. During this training you will learn what to
consider before or during your USDA foods understand your option for
utilizing your PAL or planned assistance level, gain more understanding on damages
and complaints and how to report and record them and you will learn more
information about our new state account.
The first thing you must do before you order is check your reports in WBSCM.
Each important you see here will give you all the information you would need
before you place your request. Viewing the RA Entitlement bonus summary report
will show you how much PAL you have and your DoD fresh amount. The
RA Entitlement bonus detail report will show you the prior year school order and
it will also help you forecast properly. The requisition status report will show
you the same information and this report should be checked after you place your
request in WBSCM. This will help you make sure that you requested the correct
quantities the correct delivery periods and the correct delivery locations. For
step by step on how to run these reports please view the WBSCM online training.
Proper forecasting requires you to check your menus and make any necessary
changes before you place your request. Checking your inventory in both the
warehouse and kitchen will help you roll out storage issues and over-ordering. If
you process don't forget about your inventory in your processors. This
information can be located via K12, ProcessorLink, or you can contact your
processor important usage report.
Entitlement or claim assistance level is
given to the state and then allocated to systems based on their previous meal
count. The state retains ownership of the entitlement and can make adjustments if
any need to be made.
Your pal may fluctuate due to
cancellations or unattainability, meaning USDA was unable to procure an
item or the product it's simply unavailable to purchase. Contamination
and outbreaks such as the Avian Fu that affected turkey may also cause supply
shortages. In the event that an item is cancelled due to any of these
circumstances your PAL will be returned to you.
There are three ways in which you can utilize your plate assistance level. The
first option is to rate delivery or what you may hear us call brown box we just
simply order your foods through WBSCM. The second option is DoD Fresh Produce
Program which is ordering fresh fruits and vegetables and having them sent
directly to your school. The third option is the food processing program with this
program you are able to send raw materials to a processor and have them
made into whatever end product that you want. If you are interested in learning
more about option two DoD or option 3 processing, please look at their separate
webinars for detailed information.
Distributors notifies RA whether USDA foods arrive to the warehouse or it
should be placed within 60 calendar days upon arrival and if those items are not
placed within 60 calendar days they will be subject to reallocation. Georgia has
four state contracted warehouses. Region one and two is Atlanta distributors
which the contacted Annmarie Evans. Regions three and four is ACC and the contact
is Angelica Flucas. Regions five, six and seven is Williams warehouse amd the
contact is Shante' Williams, no relation. Region eight co-op the contact is Teresa Stevenson.
If you receive your order you notice
that there are packaging concerns, the quality of the product is questionable,
or you find a foreign object in your product there are steps that need to be
taken. You must first take pictures and take temperatures of the product. Contact
your warehouse and report to them that you are refusing the item or if the
product is already in your possession you need to contact Annmarie Evans.
There are three categories in which a food complaint can be classified, packaging
concerns, poor food quality and texture and foreign object in food. Please be
sure to report damages and complaints properly and collect necessary
documentation because a quality product is what we strive to feed our children
in Georgia.
This is an example of quality of product. As you can see here the
applesauce has a differentiation color which means that the quality of the product
has been affected. If you are to receive an item that looks similar to this you
should report it immediately.
In our second example we are going to view foreign material and products. As you
can see here there is a stick pin in the oven roasted chicken.
Please make sure to take pictures of all four material that you find in any
product that you receive and report it immediately
In our last example we are going to discuss packaging conditions. As you can
see here a system received boiled peanuts inside of their black-eyed peas can
instead of black eye peas. This is most definitely of packaging concern.
This is an example of what the food complaint form looks like after you
contact Annmarie Evans she will send you the form to complete so that we may
address your issue with the vendor, warehouse, or USDA.
This year we are offering yet another amazing option to utilize your planned
assistance level, the state account. An RA must-have PAL in order to order
from the state account canned fruit will be offered and a quarter of a truck will be
sent to each warehouse. Once an item is ordered it must be removed from the
warehouse within 60 days. If it is not removed within 60 days it will be
reallocated.
Now we want to test your knowledge on the items that we cover today.
We would like to thank you for attending USDA fools introductory training. If you
have any additional questions please feel free to contact your FDU Specialist.