Little is known about the food safety risks associated with the various production methods by which schools prepare and serve food to students. Given this, the Center for Food Safety in Child Nutrition Programs at Kansas State University conducted a study.
Many children across the U.S rely on school meals for nutrition. In 2022, the USDA’s National School Lunch Program served 4.9 billion children. School meals should keep kids healthy and help them reach their full potential by providing the nutrition they need.
Check out this database to access vendor-specific product information for all direct delivered USDA Foods for the National School Lunch Program.
Produce Safety University is a one-week training course designed to help school foodservice staff identify and manage food safety risks associated with fresh produce.
FNS supports nutrition assistance programs with educational resources to promote and improve produce safety practices in their operations.
El virus estomacal: lo que el personal de la escuela debe saber
This fact sheet outlines a number of additional resources for those seeking to directly purchase or raise food products for school nutrition programs.
"Food Safety Frequently Asked Questions: The Food Safety Modernization Act and its Impact on Farm to School Activities": This document includes common questions related to food safety when purchasing locally grown and raised food products directly from producers as well as food safety considerations for edible campus gardens.
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.
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.