Fresh Bites Summer Edition 2021

COMMITTEES Industry

Industry Feature

HOW TO PROPERLY Clean & Disinfect Your Point of Sale Hardware

MONROE COUNTY NUTRITION STAFF “Zooms” to a Local Dairy Farm

BY Patrick Clemens Heartland School Solutions Now more than ever, making sure every surface in your cafeteria remains clean and disinfected is critically important. The same holds true for all of your serving line hardware, including POS terminal/ tablets, pin pads, cash drawers, keyboards, and mice. Before we begin, it’s important to understand the difference between cleaning and disinfecting. As defined by the CDC, cleaning and disinfecting are two separate, but essential, steps as part of the overall sanitizing process. Cleaning: You want to prep the hardware by cleaning it of all debris or grime, then proceed to disinfecting it of germs. Disinfecting: Using an alcohol-based solution to kill germs on surfaces or objects. Follow the steps below to clean your touch screen POS terminals/tablets, pin pads, cash drawers, keyboards, and mice. Cleaning instructions 1. Power off your computers and/or attached devices (e.g. pin pad). 2. Put on disposable gloves before cleaning and disinfecting the equipment. 3. Remove any visible debris or grime on your hardware to prepare it to be disinfected. You can use a damp non-abrasive cloth to do so. Disinfecting instructions 1. Now that the equipment has been properly cleaned, it is ready to be disinfected. Start by spraying an alcohol- based solution (≤ Isopropyl 70% Alcohol) onto a soft, non-abrasive, lint-free cloth or towel. Avoid spraying the cleaning solution directly onto the touchscreen or hardware devices.

BY GREG SZKLANY American Dairy Association North East

DO NOT USE any non-diluted alcohol, bleach or chemical cleaning solution, which may damage the hardware. 2. With your hardware powered off, gently wipe all surfaces with the damp cloth and allow it to dry completely before turning them back on. 3. Dispose of gloves and wash hands thoroughly immediately after removing. 4. Repeat these steps as needed throughout the d Fr a e y q . uent cleaning and disinfecting of your point of sale hardware is just one of the many ways you can help ensure your staff and students stay safe throughout the school year. Heartland School Solutions has worked closely with our vendors to develop these guidelines showing how to properly clean and disinfect your point of sale hardware. If you’re not a Heartland customer and you purchased equipment elsewhere, please refer to the manufacturer for specific instructions.

FreshBites professionals across Monroe County, for an on-farm experience without ever leaving school. Attendees had an opportunity to learn from a dairy farmer - all about the care they provide to their animals, technology on the farm - like robotic milkers and cow “fit bits”- and the entire milking process. As expected, the calves stole the show! And who knew that cows have nutritionists, too? Ensuring cows have a balanced diet to maintain their health so they can produce quality milk is all part of the top-notch animal care they receive on the farm. “School nutrition professionals work so hard to keep our children nourished and fueled for success,” said dairy farmer Sarah Colby. “The virtual farm tour was a great opportunity to show them that the local milk and dairy products they’re serving to students every day come from a good place. On average, milk travels from farm to table – or in this case schools – in just 48 hours. Now that’s fresh and local. And milk is always in season, produced 365 days a year.” Locally-sourced foods including dairy, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, along with fruits and vegetables, have been on the rise on school menus across New York State with the implementation of New York Thursdays. This Farm-to-School initiative prioritizes serving students healthy, local foods, all while educating them about where their food comes from and the farmers who produce it. “It is important for our school community to know where their food comes from and about the people 43 Now more than ever, people want to know where their food comes from. Recently, American Dairy Association North East was able to arrange a virtual farm tour of Colby Homestead Farms for 25 school nutritional

who produce it,” said Nicole VanDerMeid, Director of Food Service of Brighton Central Schools. “Supporting local is very important to our community. Thanks to the NY Thursdays program and American Dairy Association North East, we had an opportunity to take a live virtual farm tour and learn the details of what it takes to produce the milk we use every day.” American Dairy Association North East is an active supporter of New York Thursdays and increasing the availability of locally-sourced foods for school meals. For information about NY Thursdays and more, please contact us at schools@milk4u.org.

Dairy farmer Sarah Colby hosted 25 school nutrition professionals from Monroe County for a virtual dairy farm tour this spring.

FreshBites

SUMMER 2021