Recorded presentation

David DeLozier, MPH¹, Erica L. Odom, BS¹, and Howell Wechsler, EdD, MPH². (1) NCCDPHP/ Divison of Adolescent and School Health, CDC, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop K-12, Atlanta, GA 30341, 7704886177, dgd0@cdc.gov, (2) Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, MS K-12, Atlanta, GA 30341

Preventing foodborne illness in the nation’s 117,000 schools is an emerging health concern in the United States. From 1990 to 1999, 292 school-related foodborne illness outbreaks were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), resulting in over 16,000 illnesses. Schools provide a unique setting to reach consumers and families with food safety education because approximately one-fourth of the U.S. population attends, works for, or has children in schools.

In an effort to prevent and reduce school-based foodborne illnesses, the CDC and other National Coalition for Food Safe Schools partners have developed ‘The Food-Safe School Action Guide: A Coordinated School Health Framework for Improving School Foodborne Illness Prevention’. This Guide will assist local schools and communities in implementing critical recommendations for ensuring a food-safe school throughout the school environment.

The Action Guide is designed for school personnel to assess the safety of their schools' food safety programs and practices, identify areas for improvement, and develop solutions for preventing foodborne illnesses. The Action Guide contains: •customized information and recommendations for school staff, •lists of existing food safety curricula and materials, •sample protocols for detecting and responding to school foodborne outbreaks, •sample lesson plans for integrating food safety into health education curricula, and •risk communication strategies.

The session will aim to familiarize the audience with the Action Guide content and strategies for ensuring a food-safe and healthy school environment.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.List critical elements and recommendations for ensuring a food-safe school.
• 2.Define areas for improvement and develop solutions for preventing foodborne illness in schools.
• 3.Identify and develop education and prevention strategies for collaboration within schools and other partners.
• 4.Develop ideas for lessons plans for integration in school health education curricula.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Food Safety

Related Web page: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.

Recorded presentation