As part of the President’s National Food Safety Initiative (NFSI), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (CDC/DASH) is working in collaboration with other government agencies, non-government organizations, the Partnership for Food Safety Education, and coordinated school health infrastructure states to better enable the nation’s schools to prevent foodborne illness. The presentation will provide an overview of the importance of our nation’s schools in the National Food Safety Initiative(NFSI) , including NFSI background and objectives and a description of the current status of food safety in U.S. schools. The main focus of this presentation is the DASH strategic plan to implement activities aimed at enabling schools to prevent foodborne illness through coordinated school health programs. Specific activities to be highlighted will include the formation of and inter-agency collaboration in the National School Food Safety Working Group and CDC/DASH’s formative assessment process in developing a manual for schools that will outline a model coordinated school food safety program planned for national dissemination. Also to be presented are specific recommendations about what could be done at the local, state, and national level to help schools prevent foodborne illness.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to: 1) Recognize the important role of schools in the national effort to prevent foodborne illness, 2) Articulate the major goals and objectives of the President's National Food Safety Initiative, 3) Describe the CDC's strategic, coordinated school health program approach to better enable schools to prevent foodborne illness
Keywords: Food Safety, School Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.