Health regulation challenges for safety of food acquired from family farms for school meals

This study sought to determine the hygienic and sanitary parameters that municipalities use to purchase food from family farms for school meals and to discuss the challenges for structuring the health regulation of these foods. The data were obtained through analysis of public calls for bids (n = 122) and interviews (n = 63) conducted with the technicians responsible for the program in municipalities within the state of Sao Paulo. It was found that the hygienic and sanitary parameters described in the public calls for bids and nutritionist reports are inconsistent in different aspects, primarily due to their non-compliance with Brazilian health legislation. The descriptions of the microbiological, physicochemical, microscopic, and toxicological characteristics, as well as the transport conditions appeared as the main limitations. It was observed that for most food groups the quality requirements demanded by the technical experts were lower than those described in the public calls for bids. The challenges identified by the study were as follows: 1) aligning the specifications of the public calls for bids with the required criteria when receiving the food, 2) defining the criteria required for each food group in order to comply with health legislation, 3) relevant local agencies performing a health inspection of animal products, and 4) adapting health legislation for family farm products.