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Food-Safe Schools Program

NEHA’s Food-Safe Schools (FSS) Program is dedicated to improving the health, education, and well-being of young people. Through the FSS Program and with the collaboration of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Division of Adolescent and School Health (CDC/DASH), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (USDA/FNS), and other partner organizations, NEHA will help build the capacity of health and education departments to work within coordinated school health programs to prevent foodborne illnesses. 

The goals of this program are:

• To build a framework of national partnerships supporting model FSS Programs.
• To make each organization playing a role in school food safety aware of the numerous resources that exist nationwide.
• To promote and distribute the Food-Safe Schools Action Guide toolkit as an active member and partner of the National Coalition for Food-Safe Schools and the Clean Hands Coalition.

For more information, please contact Vanessa T. De Arman, Food Safety Project Specialist, at 303.756.9090, ext. 311 or vdearman@neha.org, or Tom Dickey, Project Coordinator, at 701.277.4833 or tdickey@neha.org.

NEHA’s Food-Safe Schools Program Activities

Participation in the National Coalition for Food-Safe Schools (NCFSS)—NEHA is a member of NCFSS (www.foodsafeschools.org), which has representatives from national organizations, associations, and government agencies working together to reduce foodborne illness in the U.S. by improving food safety in schools. NCFSS serves as a one-stop gateway to a wealth of school food safety information and resources.

Participation in the Clean Hands Coalition (CHC)—NEHA is also a member of CHC (www.cleanhandscoalition.org), a unified alliance of public and private partners working together to create and support coordinated, sustained initiatives to significantly improve health and save lives through clean hands. Good hand hygiene is one of the most important steps people can take to prevent illness and the transmission of disease. Also, through CHC, NEHA helps promote the Healthy Schools, Healthy People—It’s a SNAP Program (School Network for Absenteeism Prevention, www.itsasnap.org), a grassroots, education-based effort to improve health by making hand cleaning an integral part of the school day.

Promotion of the Food-Safe Schools Action Guide Toolkit—In cooperation with CDC/Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Service (USDA/FNS), and the partners of NCFSS, the Food-Safe Schools Action Guide (FSSAG) toolkit was established to help schools assess their food safety programs and to address any areas of need to help prevent young people from becoming ill from improperly prepared or mishandled food. NEHA proposes to collaborate with CDC/DASH, USDA/FNS, and NCFSS partners to promote and distribute the FSSAG. NEHA is currently distributing FSSAGs through its Epi-Ready Team Training Workshops. To order a toolkit and/or download materials, please visit www.foodsafeschools.org.

Research and Management of Food Safety Grants—NEHA continually researches potential funding sources for food safety education, outreach, and research—for example, NEHA is currently researching funding opportunities on ethnic food safety. NEHA also receives regular funding for education through CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s conference support grant programs.

Enhancement and promotion of NEHA’s Food Safety Resources Reviews Web Site—In cooperation with CDC, NEHA developed a user-friendly Web site that is easily accessible to the public and serves as a resource for food safety information. Through NEHA, an experienced team of food safety and education experts reviewed, evaluated, and recommended food safety resources for content, quality, and compatibility with the FDA Food Code. To access the reviews, please visit www.foodsafetyweb.info/NEHA/Reviews/List.asp.

Food-Safe Schools Program Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent and School Health, Food Safety
• NEHA's Food Safety Resources Reviews
• National Coalition for Food-Safe Schools and Food-Safe Schools Action Guide
• Clean Hands Coalition (CHC)
• Food Safety Programs and Information Web Sites