Child Nutrition program operators may want to visit a farm before purchasing produce. During a visit, you can observe and ask questions about produce handling and food safety practices.
Information about food safety issues in school gardens. Includes topics such as site selection, materials, and water use; chemical and fertilizer use; compost and manure use; growing and harvesting produce; using school garden produce in your school meals program and addressing community donations.
Best practices associated with handling fresh produce in schools, including information on purchasing and receiving, washing and preparation, hand hygiene, serving, and storage of fresh produce. Also includes recommendations for specific fruits and vegetables.
This page contains a list of food safety resources organized by topic area that provides basic definitions of food safety terms and links to sites with more information. These resources may be used by school food service as well as growers.
Learn more about COVID-19 food safety resources available to FNS program operators including new resources for school nutrition professionals from the Institute of Child Nutrition.
This memorandum and attachment provides guidance regarding the State Agency School Food Safety Inspections Report for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program for SY 2022-23.
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will discontinue the requirement for vendors to use high security seals to secure USDA Foods deliveries as of July 1, 2023.
FNS advances food safety education and practices in federal nutrition assistance programs through research conducted by the Center for Food Safety in Child Nutrition Programs (the Center). To better understand food safety concerns associated with fresh produce and farm to school activities, the Center conducted a study.
This webinar provided state agencies and school districts instructions on how to navigate the USDA Foods Database to access vendor-specific product information, including nutrients, allergens, ingredients and certifications.
Creating food-safe schools takes time and hard work. The Action Guide will help you recognize where you’re starting and what you can build over time. Once you have a complete blueprint, with all the necessary pieces in one place, you will have a valuable and lasting tool.