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Ensure Food Safety
Sponsors must comply with food safety requirements in accordance with Federal, State, and local health and food safety codes. You can find more specific information regarding food safety below.
For specific food safety questions, please reach out to your local public health agency.
Food Safety Requirements
Reduce Food Waste
Share Tables
Share tables provide a place for children to return unopened or whole food and beverage items they don’t want, making them available to others who would like additional servings.
Offer vs. Serve
Offer vs. serve lets students decline some meal items to reduce waste and support healthy choices. Students must take at least ½ cup of fruit or vegetables and two other food items at breakfast and food groups at lunch.
Donate Leftovers
Unserved program food can be donated to eligible local food banks or charitable organizations.
Additional Tips to Reduce Food Waste
- Implement offer vs. serve at all grade levels
- Pre-portion meals when possible, but consider packaging costs and waste
- Use proper portioning techniques
- Offer share tables during each meal service
- Review production records regularly and use batch cooking for better forecasting
- Conduct taste tests to make sure meals appeal to students
- Schedule recess before lunch to help increase appetite
- Give students enough time to sit and eat their meals
Food Safety Resources
- Temperature Logs:
- Food Safety Resources in Spanish (scroll down to ‘recursos en Espanol)
- Learn about FDA-regulated product recalls