Food safety is an important element in farm to school programs. These resources will guide you through the important considerations when incorporating fresh, locally grown produce into your meals.
TDA also recommends consulting with your local health department or regulatory agency for information on local food safety requirements.
USDA created this booklet for quick and easy reference for food safety and sanitation. Each page is designed to be used as a handout during training. The booklet contains valuable information about managing a safe and sanitary operation. The handouts cover topics including food borne illness and food safety programs in schools.
This webinar series, developed by the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN), focuses on food safety in child care centers and family day care homes. Information is based on Serving Safe Food in Child Care, and provides a four step process for keeping foods served to young children safe.
This guide, developed by the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) in partnership with USDA, outlines some of the safety considerations when sourcing locally grown food. This includes everything from locating a producer and planning a farm site visit to discussing purchasing procedures and delivery topics with producers.
Maintaining traceability of fresh produce is a key element of a strong Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. This resource, developed by the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN), will serve as a guide to ensure the source of fresh produce can be traced in the event of a safety concern and be incorporated into local Harzard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans.
This section of USDA's Fruits & Vegetables Galore: Quality Foods for Quality Meals guide covers the basics of food safety in school nutrition programs.