August 23, 2002

With millions of children going back to school over the next several weeks, USDA unveiled a resource guide for school food service professionals on how to respond to food recalls. The text is the latest in a series of technical assistance materials gathered to assist school food service professionals. The publication, available free to all school food authorities, contains food recall reference guides, leader guides and brochures.

Officials at USDA unveiled the resource guide for school food service professionals during an interactive teleconference for child nutrition and food service professionals sponsored by the National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI).

"Responding to a Food Recall" is the latest in a series of technical assistance materials geared toward specific needs of school food service professionals. The publication, which will be made available free to all school food authorities, contains food recall reference guides, leader guides and brochures. NFSMI produced the resource guide through a cooperative agreement with USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. NFSMI is an independent organization, funded by Congress, which serves as a national leader in providing education, research and training to child nutrition groups in order to promote excellence in child nutrition programs.

"Providing nutritious and safe food for our child nutrition programs is critical. The meals we serve are designed to help children become healthier and more productive, which will give them the best possible start in life," said Eric M. Bost, undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. "It is essential that those meals are not only well-balanced and appealing, but also safe to consume."

In the teleconference, Bost and Dr. Elsa Murano, under secretary for food safety, stressed the importance of food handling and safety preparation through partnerships with the NFSMI, local county and city health inspectors, and USDA agencies involved in preventing tainted food from reaching schools. Their message aims to ensure that information is shared, activities are coordinated and problems are analyzed and solved promptly.

In the past, effective partnerships have allowed us to establish food safety requirements that are monitored and enforced, purchase safe and nutritious food for child nutrition programs, and develop educational tools like the "Thermy™" and "Fight BAC!®" spokescharacters to help providers handle and prepare food safely.

"Each step in the chain, from farm to table, is vital in maintaining a safe, wholesome food supply," Murano said. "Food service professionals are instrumental in keeping school children safe from disease-causing bacteria and foodborne illness, and we depend on them to properly handle and prepare the food that is served."

For more information on the teleconference and on materials produced by NFSMI, visit their website at http://www.nfsmi.org/. For additional information on child nutrition programs and food safety, visit the USDA web site at http://www.usda.gov.

For more information about this publication and others relating to school food safety, visit http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2002/08/0351.htm.