Food Safe Schools Program
We worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, and Kansas State University Center of Excellence for Food Safety Research in Child Nutrition Programs to collaborate with school nutrition/food service departments to promote food safety practices. Professionals who conduct school food safety inspections have an opportunity to foster and strengthen their relationship with school nutrition and food service personnel and provide education and resources to promote a culture of food safety.
Food-safe schools take a school-wide approach to food safety, and with the help of partners in the school community, create a culture of food safety. Food-safe schools have two main ingredients.
- They are built on comprehensive procedures, policies, and plans that address the science of food safety.
- They address people's behavior to encourage the use of food safety procedures, policies, and plans.
Food-Safe Schools Action Guide: Creating a Culture of Food Safety
The Action Guide will assist schools in reviewing their current food safety efforts, taking action to build food-safe schools by addressing important areas of food safety, and communicating with the school community to create a culture of food safety. A "culture of food safety" is thinking of the school community's behaviors and beliefs about food safety. There will be a culture of food safety when food-safe behaviors are second nature to the members of the school community—the school nutrition team, school administrators, teachers, parents, and students—and these behaviors are consistently practiced to help keep students healthy and safe.
The Action Guide addresses food safety requirements for the National School Lunch Act, a school food safety program based on HACCP principles, training and education, employee health and personal hygiene, produce safety, managing food allergies, food defense, responding to food recalls, and responding to a foodborne illness outbreak.
Resources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (USDA/FNS), Food Safety |
- Food-Safe Schools Action Guide: Creating a Culture of Food Safety |
- Kansas State University Center of Excellence for Food Safety Research in Child Nutrition Programs |