The National Council of Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Coordinators is pleased to announce the release of a modifiable fact sheet for the Safe Use of Salad Bars in Schools. The fact sheet includes a set of guidelines, codes, and food safety procedures needed to safely operate salad bars in schools. It was developed using best practices from ASPHN partners and members including the Minnesota Department of Health and the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. 

The modifiable fact sheet was created to assist State Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Coordinators in their work to encourage salad bars in schools and to bridge gaps in discussions around salad bar food safety. "The salad bar fact sheet addresses the positives associated with salad bars, and also the concerns some managers and schools have regarding food codes, food purchasing, and food safety and cross-contamination," says Donna Speed, MS, RD, LD, Nutrition Services Director, Mississippi State Department of Health, Nutrition Services. "This is a great overall tool for any State Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Coordinator to utilize in promoting salad bars with schools, educators, nutrition staff, and the community," adds Speed. 

The editable fact sheet is available for download at www.asphn.org. It is formatted in Microsoft Word and features editable regions, allowing users to easily customize it for their state's needs. Additionally, an accompanying guidance document is available for download. The guidance document offers tips and strategies on how to collaborate on the edits in order to successfully modify the fact sheet and make it available for wide distribution in each state.   

For more information about the Safe Use of Salad Bars in Schools modifiable fact sheet and its use, please contact Joan Atkinson, ASPHN Consultant.

Founded in 1952, ASPHN is a non-profit membership organization that provides state and national leadership on food and nutrition issues, programs and services aimed at improving the health of our population. ASPHN’s membership is comprised of over 250 public health nutritionists located throughout all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. As we celebrate over 60 years of service, our vision is to create new environmental norms where healthy eating and active living are the easy and natural choices for all Americans. ASPHN can be found on the Web at www.asphn.org and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/asphn.

The product described in this release is made possible by a cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Funding award details are on the product. It cost $4,680 to produce this product, and federal funds covered all of the direct production costs. Development of this product includes in-kind time from state health agency nutrition experts.