Produce Safety Resources

The resources on this page are intended to advance your understanding of food safety for produce in child nutrition operations.  School Nutrition professionals with particular interest in this topic are encouraged to sign up through their State Agencies to attend Produce Safety University, a week-long immersion course offered by USDA.

Fresh produce provides many nutritional benefits, but it must be handled safely to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Harmful bacteria residing in soil or water may come into contact with fresh produce at any point during the plant’s growth, harvest, processing, transportation, storage, preparation, or service.  Fresh produce that is served raw does not go through a cooking step to kill any harmful bacteria that may be present before it is served to students, and, therefore has the potential to cause a foodborne illness.

Search ICN Resources

FILES CATEGORY

• All
• Cashier's Training
• HealthierUS School Challenge: Smarter Lunchrooms
• Nutrition 101: A Taste of Food and Fitness - 4th Edition
• Utilizing the Cafeteria as a Classroom
• Orientation to School Nutrition Management
• Basic Culinary Math for School Nutrition Professionals
• Financial Management: A Course for School Nutrition Directors 2nd Edition
• Financial Management: A Course for School Nutrition Managers
• Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs
• Inventory Management and Tracking
• Mock Health Inspection
• Designing and Delivering Training Programs (formerly Foundations for Training Excellence)
• Healthy Cuisine for Kids - Fifth Edition
• Food Purchasing for Child Care
• Healthy Me! The Preschoolers Guide
• Norovirus Resources
• USDA Recipes for Healthy Kids
• Child and Adult Care Resources
• -Family Child Care FUNdamentals
• -Introduction to Happy Mealtimes in Child Care Settings
• -Food Safety in Child Care
• -Child Care Mini-Posters
• -Menus for Child Care
• -More Than Mud Pies - 6th Edition
• -Ready Set Go!
• -USDA Recipes for Child Care
• -CACFP Training Resource Checklist
• -CACFP Meal Pattern Resources
• --Optional Best Practices Training
• --Infant Meal Pattern Requirements Training
• --Child and Adult Meal Pattern Requirements Training
• --CACFP Meal Pattern Posters and Infographics
• --CACFP Meal Pattern Tip Cards
• --CACFP Fact Sheets/Tip Sheets
• -Grab in 5
• -Menu Planning Basics: A Guide for CACFP Operators in Child Care
• -Cycle Menus for Child Care- Preschoolers
• Financial Management Information System
• Food Safety Resources
• -Food Safety in Schools
• -Seguridad de alimentos en las escuelas
• -Cool It! Methods for Cooling Foods Safely
• -Employee Health and Personal Hygiene
• -Responding to a Food Recall
• -Food Safety Basics
• -Food Safety Videos
• --A Flash of Food Safety - Spanish
• --A Flash of Food Safety - English
• -Manager’s Corner
• -Food Safety Standard Operating Procedures
• -Food Safety for Summer Meals
• -Water Emergency Preparedness
• -Norovirus for Schools
• -Food Safety Mini-Posters
• -Food Safety Fact Sheets
• -Food Safety SOP Logs
• -Food Safety SOP Resources
• -CARE Connections: Food Safety
• -Food Defense: Developing A Biosecurity Management Plan
• -Recursos en Español
• -Family Child Care Food Safety Kit
• -Handwashing Posters
• -Writing a HACCP-Based Food Safety Plan for Schools Workshop
• -Employee Health and Personal Hygiene for Child Care
• Produce Safety
• -Produce Safety University Graduate Training Resources
• -The Produce Lab Videos - Culinary Techniques
• -The Produce Lab Videos - Good Agricultural Practices (GAPS)
• -The Produce Lab Videos - Quality and Condition
• -Produce Safety Videos - What Went Right and What Went Wrong
• -Commodity Specific Fact Sheets
• -Produce Safety Best Practices Fact Sheets
• -Produce Safety Printable Posters
• Research Documents
• -CKS for Child Care Providers in CACFP
• -CKS for District-Level School Nutrition Professionals
• -Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for School Nutrition Managers - Phase I
• -Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for School Nutrition Managers - Phase II
• -Competency-Based Performance Appraisals for School Nutrition Managers and Assistants/Technicians
• -Cost Variables Associated with Producing and Serving a Reimbursable National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Snack for Children in Afterschool Care Programs, 2006
• -Wellness for Child and Adult Care Food Programs
• -Determining Factors Impacting the Decision of Middle/Junior High School Students to Participate in the National School Lunch Program
• -Determining the Perceptions, Practices, and the Perceived Barriers Associated with School Professionals Serving the Nutritional Needs of the Pre-K Child in the Public School Setting 
• -Development of Middle/Jr. High School Student Surveys to Measure Factors that Impact Participation in and Satisfaction with the National School Lunch Program 
• -Emergency Preparedness
• -Examining Diversity in the School Nutrition Workforce
• -Exploring Nutrition Literacy and Knowledge Among School Nutrition Managers
• -Exploring School Nutrition Professionals Preferences of USDA Recipes and R4HK Competition Recipes for Meeting New USDA Meal Pattern Requirements
• -Exploring Standard Child Nutrition Key Performance Indicators
• -Exploring the Impact of Productions and Equipment Decisions on the Operation of School Nutrition Programs
• -Exploring the Uniqueness of Child Nutrition Programs in Large School Districts
• -Farm to School Identifying Applied Research and Operational Resource Needs and Issues of Farm to School Programs
• -Financial Management Benchmarks for School Nutrition
• -Financial Management Issues and Practices in School Nutrition Programs
• -Focus Group Discussions with Elementary School Foodservice Directors, Teachers, and Parents Regarding the School Breakfast Program
• -Going Green! A Case Study Approach Examining Green and Environmental Conservation Practices in School Nutrition Programs
• -Got Milk! Exploring How Student Preferences Impact Their Milk Selection in Schools
• -Developing and Sustaining Green/Environmental Conservation Practices
• -ICN Applied Research Division SNA ANC 2016 Poster Session 
• -Increasing Middle/Junior High School Student Participation and Satisfaction
• -ICN Best Practices for Serving Students with Special Food and/or Nutrition Needs In School Nutrition Programs
• -Identification of Issues Associated with Operating School Nutrition Programs in Districts with Less Than 30,000 Student Enrollment
• -Implementation of HACCP-based Food Safety Programs in School Nutrition Programs
• -In Classroom Breakfast Programs Best Practices
• -Investigation of Factors Impacting Participation of High School Students in the National School Lunch Program
• -Investigation of School Professionals' Perceptions and Practices Regarding Issues Influencing Recess Placement in Elementary Schools
• -Investigation of the Job Functions and Training Needs of State Agency Child Nutrition Professionals
• -Job Description Template for CNP Director/Supervisor/Administrator 
• -Job Functions and Training Needs of State Agency Child Nutrition Professionals
• -Knowledge and Skills Needed for State Agency Child Nutrition professionals in the 21st Century
• -Marketing the School Nutrition Program Resource Guide for School Nutrition Professionals
• -Middle/Junior High School Participation and Non-Participation Survey Guide Internal Benchmarking for School Nutrition Programs
• -National Survey of School Nutrition Directors' Web-Based Training Needs
• -NFSMI Research Agenda Conference 2013 Linking Research to Practice
• -Nutrition and Wellness in Child Care Centers Participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
• -Nutrition Information at Point of Selection in High Schools Does it Affect Entree Choices?
• -Overcoming Barriers to Participation in the Summer Food Service Program - An Identification of Best Practice Solutions 
• -Practices and Perceptions of School Nutrition Professionals Toward Obtaining the HealthierUS School Challenge Award
• -Ready, Set, Go! Creating and Maintaining a Wellness Environment in Child Care Centers Participating in the CACFP
• -Research Related to Child Nutrition Programs
• -Sustaining and Strengthening Local Wellness Initiatives
• -School Nutrition Experiences for Dietetics Students 
• -School Nutrition Professionals' Perceptions Regarding Their Role in Supporting and Contributing to School Wellness
• -School Nutrition Professionals’ Involvement in the Equipment Purchasing and Facility Design Process 
• -School Nutrition Program Utilization of the NFSMI FUNDamentals Financial Management Software
• -School Wellness Policy Readiness of Principals to Implement Changes
• -Secondary Analysis of the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Data Base A Two Part Study
• -Serving the Nutritional Needs of Pre-Kindergarten Children in the Public School Setting Best Practices
• -Steps to Nutrition Success Checklist A Program Self-Assessment Checklist for Family Day Care Home and Child Care Center Providers Participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
• -Succession Planning for Management Level Staff in the School Nutrition Programs
• -Sustainability of School Wellness Policy Initiatives
• -Team Nutrition Local Wellness Demonstration Project
• -Training and Educational Resource Needs of Child Care Professionals Participating in the CACFP
• -Unpublished Dissertations and Theses in Child Nutrition Programs and School Aged Children
• -Afterschool Care Program NSLP Snack Service
• -Determining the Job Functions of Child Care Providers in CACFP Operations
• -Identification of Available Training Resources Appropriate for Family Day Care Home Providers
• -Job Functions/Duties, Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills of Sponsor Monitors Participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
• -Management Issues Impacting Family Day Care Homes Operating Within the Child and Adult Care Food Program Guidelines- A Review of Literature
• -Training and Educational Resource Needs of Child Care Professionals Participating in the CACFP
• -Procurement Practices Influencing Programs Operating Within the Guidelines of the Child and Adult Care Food Program: A Review of Literature 
• -Determining the Job Functions of Child Care Providers in CACFP Operations
• -Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for School Nutrition Managers
• Basics at a Glance
• Buy American: U.S. Agriculture Supporting Healthy School Meals
• USDA Recipes for Schools
• Videos
• Applied Research Division Publications
• -Manuscripts
• -Poster Sessions
• -Research Briefs
• -Other Resources
• -Technical Reports
• No Time To Train:Short Lessons for School Nutrition Assistants 
• Non-Resource PDFs
• Mealtime Memos
• -2017 Mealtime Memos
• -2018 Mealtime Memos
• -2019 Mealtime Memos
• -2020 Mealtime Memos
• -New category 2
• -New category 3
• -New category 4
• -New category
• -New category 1
• Connect: The Cafeteria to The Classroom
• Food Safety for Summer Meals
• Forecasting the Procurement of Foods
• Ground Rules for Training Mini-Posters
• Tools and Tips for Trainers
• -Communication
• -Environmentally Friendly Meetings
• -Food Service Management Skills
• -Ground Rules for Training Mini Posters 
• -Meals and Breaks During Training
• -Meeting Accessibility for People with Disabilities
• -Nutrition Fact Sheets and Activities
• -Physical Activity During Training
• -Presentation Development
• -Training Techniques
• Social Media Marketing for School Nutrition Programs
• Marketing Your School Nutrition Program
• Key Performance Indicators
• S.T.A.R.
• -June 2018
• -July 2018
• -August 2018
• -September 2018
• -October 2018
• -January 2019
• -February 2019
• -March 2019
• -April 2019
• -May 2019
• -STAR August 2019
• -STAR September 2019
• -Para Directores en Espanol
• School Nutrition Mini Posters
• School Meal Pattern
• Meal Pattern Mini-Posters
• eLearning How-To Documents
• ICN Strategic Plan
• ARD Tools and Templates
• -Middle/Junior High School Student Survey Guide and Tools
• -High School Student Survey Guide and Tools
• Team Up For School Nutrtion
• -January 2016
• -May 2016
• -April 2016
• -June 2016
• -February 2016
• -July 2016
• -March 2016
• -September 2016
• -February 2017
• -March 2017
• -April 2017
• -May 2017
• -June 2017
• -July 2017
• -August 2017
• -September 2017
• -October 2017
• -February 2018
• -November 2017
• -January 2018
• -March 2018
• -August 2016
• Food Waste Resources and Tools
• Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for School Nutrition Managers
• Overview of USDA Child Nutrition Programs Online Course & Presentations
• Portions
• Spanish
• -Cuidado de niños (Child Care)
• --Mini-Cartels generals (General Posters)
• -Nutrición escolar (School Nutrition)
• --Mini-Cartels sobre seguridad de alimentos (Food Safety Posters)
• --Capacitación (Trainings)
• --Ficha técnica sobre seguridad de los alimentos (Food safety fact sheets)
• --Mini-cartels generals (General Posters)
• -Mealtime Memos en Español (Mealtime Memos)
• --2008 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
• --2009 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
• --2010 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
• --2011 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
• --2012 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
• --2016 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
• --2015 Issues of Mealtime Memo in Spanish
• -Comidas escolares reembolsables
• Training Culturally Diverse Groups
• Weights and Measures
• Emergency Readiness Plan: Guide and Forms for the School Foodservice Operation
• Inventory Management and Tracking
• ARD A-Z
• -Marketing for School Nutrition Programs
• -CQI for the School Nutrition Environment
• -Data Driven Decision Making
• -Developing and Sustaining Green Practices
• -Increasing Middle/Jr High Student participation
• -Checklist for Implementing or Assessing Recess
• -Sustaining and Strengthening Local Wellness Initiaives
• -School Nutrition Experiences for Dietetic
• -Environmental Scan and Formative Research of Student Engagement Practices in Support of School Meal Programs - Phase I
• -Exploratory Investigation of the Roles, Responsibilities, and Impact of Chefs Working in School Nutrition Programs
• Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for Child Care Provers in CACFP
•  Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for District-Level School Nutrition Professionals
• Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for State Agency Child Nutrition Professionals
• Food Allergies Resources
• -Food Allergy Fact Sheets
• -Food Allergies for School Nutrition Managers and Staff
• -Food Allergies for School Nutrition Directors
• -Food Allergies Child Care Resources
• -Food Allergies for School Nutrition Directors - Managing Food Allergies
• -New category
• Food Allergies Post
• Job Description Template
• S.T.A.R. Resources
• Cooperative Purchasing for State Agency
• STAR Digital Binder
• -STAR Initiative Overview
• -Meal Preparation Module
• -Procurement and Inventory Module
• -Nutrition and Menu Management
• -Manager's Corner Curriculum
• -Strategies
• -Templates
• -Action Plans
• -Facilitation
• -Resources
• -VILT
• Procurement of Foods: Cooperative Purchasing Groups
• Got Milk! How Student Preferences Impact Their Milk Selection in Schools
• Foundations For Training Excellence 4 hour
• E-STAR
• Food Preparation Tools
• State Agency
• Managing Personalities and Conflict
• Essential Key Performance Indicators for School Nutrition Success
• ICN internal documents
• Reauthorization Files
• CNAAT agenda
• Manager's Corner
• -Nutrition
• -Operations
• -Communications/Marketing
• -Spanish
• --Nutrición
• --Comunicación_Mercadotecnia
• COVID-19 Resources
• Manager's Corner Spanish
• School Nutrition Staff: You Are A Team
• NAAC
• Steps for Emergency Preparedness
• CACFP Grab and Go Lessons
• -Administration
• -Procurement
• -Compliance
• -Health and Safety
• -Nutrition and Meal Management
• -Education and Training
• Introduction to School Nutrition Leadership
• RFPs
• Focus on the Customer for Directors and Managers
• Capacitacion del cajero: comidas escolares reembolsables
• USDA OFS's COVID-19 Webinar Series Resources
• STAR Webinar Resources
• -STAR April 2020
• -STAR May 2020
• -STAR June 2020
• -STAR July 2020
• -STAR August 2020
• -STAR September 2020
• -STAR October 2020
• -STAR November 2020
• -STAR December 2020
• Training and Professional Development Needs Assessment for State Agency Child Nutrition Programs Who Work Primarily with School Nutrition Programs 
• Key Performance Indicators Mini Series
• Food Varieties Galore
• CICN Spice Blend Posters
• ESTAR Resources
• -Manager's Corner
• Child Nutrition Wellness Initiative
• Adult Day Stay Fact Sheets and Supplemental Resources Adult Day Stay Fact Sheets and Supplemental Resources
• Adult Day Care Food Allergy Fact Sheets
• Child Care Center Food Allergy Fact Sheets
• Spanish
• CACFP iTrain Simple Lesson Plans
• Shaking it up landing page
• -Procuring Lower-Sodium Products and Ingredients
• --worksheets
• --other resources
• -Sodium in School Meals
• --worksheets
• --other resources
• ---videos
• Documenting Last-Minute Substitutions to School Meal Menus

Search

FILTER

CREATION DATE

From

To

CLEAR ALL CONTINUE