Presents an overview of potential threats on food supplies, new techniques to insure food safety, a chronology of important food related events, and a complete annotated bibliography.

School Meal Program: Few Instances of Foodborne Outbreaks Reported, but Opportunities Exist to Enhance Outbreak Data and Food Safety Practices

Through its commodity program, the U.S. Dept. of Agr. (USDA) provides commodity foods at no cost to schools taking part in the national school meals programs. Commodities include raw ground beef, cheese, poultry, and fresh produce. The commodity program has taken steps designed to reduce microbial contamination that can result in severe illness. This report reviews: (1) the extent to which the program's purchasing specifications related to microbial contamination differ from fed. regulations; (2) the extent to which specifications for raw ground beef differ from those imposed by some other large purchasers; and (3) examples of schools' practices to help ensure that food is not contaminated. Illustrations. This is a print on demand report.