ICE NDS 2019, Standard 4.1

STANDARD 4.1 FOOD SERVICE I. POLICY The facility shall provide detainees with nutritious, attractively presented meals, prepared and served in a sanitary and hygienic food service operation. II.

STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES A.

Administration 1. Food Service Administrator (FSA) or Equivalent The food service program shall be under the direct supervision of a professional food service administrator (FSA). The FSA is responsible for planning, controlling, directing, and evaluating food service; training staff and detainees; managing budget resources; establishing standards of sanitation, safety, and security; developing nutritionally adequate menus and evaluating detainee acceptance; developing specifications for the procurement of food, equipment, and supplies; and ensuring a quality food service program.

B. General Policy 1.

Custody and Security The facility’s custody and security policy and procedures shall address the buildings or portions of buildings housing the food service department; all types of detainee traffic in and out of the department; detainee behavior; control of utensils with a custodial hazard potential (knives, cleavers, saws, tableware, etc.); official counts and/or census; and any other matters having a direct or indirect bearing on custody and security. The facility will devise and provide appropriate training to all food service personnel in detainee custodial issues. 2. Knife Control Knives must be physically secured to workstations or used only under direct staff supervision.

4.1 Food Service 97 National Detention Standards Revised 2019 3. Controlled Food Items/Hot Items All facilities shall have procedures for the storage and handling of food items that pose a security threat, including, but not limited to, yeast, mace, nutmeg, cloves, and alcohol- based flavorings. 4. Detainee Clothing Detainees assigned to the food service department shall have a neat and clean appearance.

Detainees will be issued appropriate safety and sanitation garments and protective coverings, for example, for freezers or garbage duty. 5. Detainee Job Descriptions The FSA shall review detainee job descriptions annually to ensure they are accurate and up-to-date. Before starting work in the department, the detainee will sign for receipt of the applicable job description.

6. Detainee Orientation and Training To ensure a quality food service program and instill good work habits, each FSA or designee shall instruct newly assigned detainee workers in the rules, safety measures, and procedures of the food service department.

C. Food Service Dining Room/Satellite Feeding Operations 1.

General Policy Ordinarily detainees shall be served three meals every day, at least two of which shall be hot meals; however, the facility administrator may approve variations in the food service schedule during religious and civic holidays, provided that basic nutritional goals are met. The dining room schedule must allow no more than 14 hours between the evening meal and breakfast. Clean, potable drinking water must be available. Meals shall always be prepared, delivered, and served under staff (or contractor) supervision.

2. Display and Service The following procedures apply to the display, service, and transportation of food to mainline and satellite food service areas: a. Food is fit for consumption and appropriately presented; 4.1 Food Service 98 National Detention Standards Revised 2019 b. Sanitary guidelines are observed, with hot foods maintained at a temperature of at least 135 degrees F and foods that require refrigeration maintained at 41 degrees F or below. c. Every open food item and beverage shall be protected from contaminants by clean sneeze-guards, cabinets, display cases, or other such equipment. d. Servers must wear plastic gloves whenever direct contact with a food, ice, or beverage is possible. They must use tongs, forks, spoons, ladles, or other such utensils to serve any food or beverage. e. Utensils shall be sanitized as often as necessary to prevent cross-contamination and other food-handling hazards during food preparation and service. f. If the facility cannot maintain the minimum or maximum temperature required for food safety, the affected items (e.g., salad bar staples such as lettuce, meat, eggs, cheese) must be discarded after two hours at room temperature. g. Food will be delivered from one place to another in covered containers. If the food carts do not have locking devices, they must be supervised by facility staff. h. All food safety provisions (sanitation, safe-handling, storage, etc.) apply without exception to food in transit. i. Soiled equipment and utensils must be transported to the appropriate receptacles in closed containers. j. A member of the food service staff will oversee the loading of satellite-feeding carts.

Staff shall inspect and secure all food carts before allowing their removal from the food service area.

D. Menu Planning 1.

General Policy The FSA shall base menu selections on a nutritional program meeting or exceeding minimum U.S. recommended daily allowances. The FSA shall consider the ethnic and religious diversity of the facility’s detainee population when developing menu cycles. 2. Nutritional Analysis A registered dietitian shall conduct an annual complete nutritional analysis of every master-cycle menu planned by the FSA.

Menus must be certified by the dietitian before implementation. If necessary, the FSA shall modify the menu in light of the nutritional analysis, to ensure nutritional adequacy. 4.1 Food Service 99 National Detention Standards Revised 2019 E. Food Preparation 1. General Policy The FSA is responsible for ensuring that all items on the master-cycle menu are prepared and presented according to approved recipes.

The FSA or designee has the authority to change menu items when necessary. Every such change/substitution must be documented and forwarded to the FSA. The FSA or designee shall exercise this menu-changing authority as infrequently as possible. 2.

Preparation Guidelines Food shall be prepared and served in compliance with the most recent version of the FDA food code and/or applicable local standards. Food shall be prepared with minimal manual contact. Food service workers shall thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables with fresh water before cooking or serving raw. The FSA or designee shall use thermometers to ensure the attainment and maintenance of proper internal cooking, holding, or refrigeration temperatures of all potentially hazardous foods.

3. Food Protection - General Requirements Food and ice will be protected from dust, insects and rodents, unclean utensils and work surfaces, unnecessary handling, coughs and sneezes, flooding, drainage, overhead leakage, and other sources of contamination. Protection will be continuous, whether the food is in storage, in preparation/on display, or in transit. All food storage units must be equipped with accurate easy-to-read thermometers.

Refrigeration equipment shall be designed and operated to maintain temperature of 41 degrees F or below. 4. Leftovers Prepared and properly maintained food items which have not been placed on the serving line may be retained for no more than 24 hours. Leftovers offered for service a second time shall not be retained but discarded immediately after offering.

All saved prepared food shall be labeled to identify the product, preparation date, and time.

F. Religious/Special Diets 1.

General Policy ICE/ERO requires all facilities to provide detainees requesting a religious diet reasonable and equitable opportunity to observe their religious dietary practice within the constraints of the security and orderly operations of the facility. While each request 4.1 Food Service 100 National Detention Standards Revised 2019 for religious diet accommodation is to be determined on a case-by-case basis, ICE/ERO anticipates that facilities will grant these requests unless an articulable reason exists to disqualify someone for religious accommodation or the detainee’s practice poses a significant threat to the secure and orderly operation of the facility. To initiate or end a religious diet program, the detainee will provide a written statement articulating the religious motivation for participation in or termination of the religious diet program, as appropriate. Oral interpretation or written assistance shall be provided to illiterate or limited English proficient detainees as necessary in completing this statement.

Auxiliary aids and services, accommodations, and/or staff assistance shall be provided to detainees with disabilities as needed in completing this statement to ensure their equal access to the facility’s religious diet program. A copy of the request and decision granting or denying it should be kept in the detainee’s detention file or in a retrievable electronic format. When considering denying a request by a detainee to participate in the religious diet program, or removal of a detainee from the religious diet program, the facility administrator, or his or her designee, shall consult with ICE/ERO prior to denying the request or prior to removing a detainee from the program. 2.

Common-Fare Menu Facilities must make available a “common fare” menu, which serves as the foundation to which modifications may be made to accommodate the religious diets of various faiths (e.g., for the inclusion of halal flesh-food options). Common fare represents a no-flesh protein option, offering vegetables, starches, and other foods that are not seasoned with flesh, and must be provided whenever an entrée containing flesh is offered as part of a meal. In addition, hot entrées should be available to accommodate detainee’s religious dietary needs and should be purchased, prepared, and served in a manner that does not violate the religious requirements of any faith group. Common fare is a no-flesh protein option intended to accommodate detainees whose religious dietary needs cannot be met on the main line.

The common-fare menu is based on a 14-day cycle, with special menus for the 10 Federal holidays. The menus must be certified as exceeding minimum daily nutritional requirements, meeting or exceeding U.S. recommended daily allowances (RDAs). 3. Changes to the Standard Common-Fare Menu Modifications of the standard common-fare menu may be made at the local level for various reasons, such as to meet the requirements of faith groups (e.g., for the inclusion of kosher and/or halal flesh-food options).

4.1 Food Service 101 National Detention Standards Revised 2019 4. Hot Entree Availability To the extent practicable, a hot entree shall be available to accommodate detainees’ religious dietary needs, e.g., kosher and/or halal products. Hot entrees shall be offered five times a week and shall be purchased precooked, heated in their sealed containers, and served hot. 5.

Religious Requirements With the exception of fresh fruits and vegetables, the facility’s kosher and/or halal food purchases shall be fully prepared, ready-to-use, and bearing the symbol of a recognized kosher and/or halal certification agency. 6. Plates and Utensils Common-fare meals shall be served with disposable plates and utensils, except when a supply of reusable plates and utensils has been set aside for common-fare service only. Separate cutting boards, knives, food scoops, food inserts, and other such tools, appliances, and utensils shall be used to prepare common-fare foods and shall be identified accordingly.

Meat and dairy food items and the service utensils used with each group shall be stored in areas separate from each other. 7. Ceremonial Meals, Religious Fasts, and Seasonal Observances The chaplain, in consultation with local religious leaders, if necessary, shall develop the ceremonial-meal schedule for the subsequent calendar year, providing it to the facility administrator. This schedule shall include the date, religious group, estimated number of participants, and special foods required.

Ceremonial and commemorative meals shall be prepared in the food service facility unless otherwise approved by the facility administrator. The common-fare program shall accommodate detainees abstaining from particular foods or fasting for religious purposes at prescribed times of the year.

G. Medical Diets 1.

Therapeutic Diets Detainees with certain conditions−chronic or temporary; medical, dental, and/or psychological−shall be prescribed special (therapeutic) diets, supplemental meals, or snacks as appropriate by authorized medical staff. If a prescribed medical diet conflicts with a common-fare diet, the medical diet takes precedence. Pregnant detainees may also have additional nutritional and caloric requirements. (See Standard 4.3 Medical Care.) 4.1 Food Service 102 National Detention Standards Revised 2019 H. Specialized Food Service Programs 1.

Satellite Feeding Food transported to housing units or other locations shall be transported in thermal containers that maintain cold items at temperatures below 41 degrees F and hot items at temperatures above 135 degrees F, excluding items served within the two-hour window for food safety. 2. Segregation Food Rations Food rations shall not be reduced or changed or used as a disciplinary tool. 3.

Sack Meals Sack meals shall meet nutritional minimums and be provided for detainees being transported from the facility and detainees arriving/departing between scheduled meal hours. Detainee volunteers assigned to the food service department shall not be involved in preparing meals for transportation but may prepare sack meals for on-site consumption.

I. Safety and Sanitation 1.

General Policy All food service employees are responsible for maintaining a high level of sanitation in the food service department in accordance with the most recent edition of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code and/or applicable local standards. 2. Personal Hygiene of Staff and Detainees a. All food service personnel shall wear clean garments, maintain a high level of personal cleanliness, and practice good hygiene while on duty. They shall wash hands thoroughly with soap or detergent before starting work, and as often as necessary during the shift to remove soil or other contaminants. b. Staff and detainees shall not resume work after visiting the toilet facility without first washing their hands with soap or detergent. c. All staff and detainees working in the food preparation and service area(s) shall use effective hair restraints.

Personnel with hair that cannot be adequately restrained shall be prohibited from food service operations. d. Staff and detainees who prepare or serve food shall not clean latrines, garbage cans, sewers, drains, grease traps, or for other duties during the period of food preparation. 4.1 Food Service 103 National Detention Standards Revised 2019 e. Rubber soled safety shoes shall be provided and used by all detainees working in food service. 3. Medical Examination a. All food service personnel (both staff and detainee) shall receive a documented pre- employment medical examination.

Detainees who have been absent from work for any length of time for reasons of communicable illness (including diarrhea) shall be referred to Health Services for a determination as to fitness for duty prior to resuming work. 4. Daily Health Checks Food Service staff will inspect all detainee food service workers daily at the start of each work period. Detainees who exhibit signs of illness, skin disease, diarrhea (admitted or suspected), or infected cuts or boils shall be removed from the work assignment and immediately referred to Health Services for determination of duty fitness.

The detainees shall return to work only after the FSA has received written clearance from Health Services staff. 5. Environmental Sanitation and Safety All facilities shall meet the following environmental standards: a. Clean, well-lit, and orderly work and storage areas. b. Overhead pipes removed or covered, to eliminate the food-safety hazard posed by leaking or dusty pipes. c. Routinely cleaned walls, floors, and ceilings in all areas. d. Ventilation hoods, to prevent grease buildup and wall/ceiling condensation that can drip into food or onto food-contact surfaces. Filters or other grease- extracting equipment shall be readily removable for cleaning and replacement. e. Eighteen-inch clearance (minimum) underneath sprinkler deflectors. f. Hazard-free storage areas: 1) Bags, containers, bundles, etc., stored in tiers; stacked, blocked, interlocked, and limited in height for stability/security against sliding or collapsing.

2) No flammable material; no loose cords, debris, or other obvious accident- causers (stumbling, tripping, falling, etc.); no pest-harborage. 4.1 Food Service 104 National Detention Standards Revised 2019 g. Aisles and passageways shall be kept clear and in good repair, with no obstruction that could create a hazard or hamper egress. h. To prevent cross-contamination, kitchenware and food-contact surfaces should be washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and after any interruption of operations during which contamination could occur. i. A ready supply of hot water (105-120 degrees F). j. Garbage and other trash shall be collected and removed as often as possible. The garbage/refuse containers shall have sufficient capacity for the volume, and shall be kept covered, cleaned frequently, and insect and rodent proof. The facility shall comply with all applicable regulations (local, state, and federal) on refuse-handling and disposal.

6. Equipment Sanitation Information about the operation, cleaning, and care of equipment will be obtained from manufacturers or local distributors. The FSA shall develop a schedule for the routine cleaning of equipment. The facility will adhere to the health and safety standards of the FDA and/or state or local authorities with oversight of food service operations. a. Manual Cleaning and Sanitizing The FSA shall develop a cleaning schedule for each food service area and post it for easy reference.

All areas (walls, windows, vent hoods, etc.) and equipment (chairs, tables, fryers, ovens, etc.) will be grouped by frequency of cleaning, e.g., After Every Use, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Semi-annually, or Annually. b. Mechanical Cleaning and Sanitizing Spray- or immersion-dishwashers or devices, including automatic dispensers for detergents, wetting agents, and liquid sanitizer, shall be maintained in good repair. 7. Lavatories Toilet facilities shall be provided for all food service staff and detainee workers. Toilet facilities, including rooms and fixtures, shall be kept clean and in good repair.

Signs shall be prominently displayed directing all personnel to wash hands after using the toilet. Soap or detergent and paper towels or a hand-drying device providing heated air shall be available at all times in each lavatory. 4.1 Food Service 105 National Detention Standards Revised 2019 8. Pest Control Good sanitation practices are essential to an effective pest control program.

The facility is responsible for pest control in the food service department. 9. Hazardous Materials a. Only those toxic and caustic materials required for sanitary maintenance of the facility, equipment, and utensils shall be used in the food service department. b. All staff members shall know where and how much toxic, flammable, or caustic material is on hand, and be aware that their use must be controlled and accounted for daily. c. All containers of toxic, flammable, or caustic materials shall be prominently and distinctively labeled for easy content identification. d. All toxic, flammable, and caustic materials shall be segregated from food products and stored in a locked and labeled cabinet or room. 10.

General Safety Guidelines Machines shall be guarded in compliance with OSHA standards. a. Light fixtures, vent covers, wall-mounted fans, decorative materials, and similar equipment and materials attached to walls or ceilings shall be maintained in good repair. b. Lights in food-production areas, utensil- and equipment-washing areas, and other areas displaying or storing food, equipment, or utensils shall be equipped with protective shielding. c. An approved, fixed, fire-suppression system shall be installed in ventilation hoods over all grills, deep fryers, and open flame devices. A qualified contractor shall inspect the system every six months. The fire-suppression system shall be equipped with a locally audible alarm and connected to the control room’s annunciator panel. d. Hood systems shall be cleaned after each use to prevent grease build-ups, which constitute fire risks. All deep-fryers and grills shall be equipped with automatic fuel or energy shut-off controls.

11. Mandatory Inspections a. The facility shall implement written procedures for the administrative or food service, personnel conducting the weekly inspections of all food service areas, including dining, storage, equipment, and food-preparation areas and an annual 4.1 Food Service 106 National Detention Standards Revised 2019 independent inspection ensuring that all governmental health and safety codes are being met. Staff shall check refrigerator and water temperatures daily, recording the results. b. Daily checks of equipment temperatures shall follow this schedule: 1) Dishwashers: every meal; 2) Pot and pan-washers: daily, if water in the third compartment of a three- compartment sink is used for sanitation the required minimum temperature shall be maintained in accordance with the applicable local food code; 3) Refrigeration/freezer equipment (walk-in units): site-specific schedule, established by the FSA. All temperature-check documentation shall be filed and accessible.

J. Food Storage, Receiving and Inventory 1.

General Policy Since control and location of subsistence supplies are site-specific, each FSA shall establish procedures for storing, receiving, and inventorying food. 2. Food Receipt and Storage The following procedures apply when receiving or storing food: a. Inspect the incoming shipment for damage, contamination, and pest infestation. Rats, mice, or insects may be hiding in the middle of a pallet. b. Do not store food in locker rooms, toilet rooms, dressing rooms, garbage rooms, mechanical rooms, or under sewer lines, potentially leaking water lines, open stairwells, or other sources of contamination.

3. Inventory The FSA shall base inventory levels on facility needs; however, each facility will at all times stock a 3-day-minimum food supply. Inventory levels shall be established, monitored, and periodically adjusted to correct excesses or shortages. 4.1 Food Service 107 National Detention Standards Revised 2019