A simple flowchart with key steps and considerations when looking to enter school markets as a local food business.
As a local business owner or operator considering school sales, there are a number of preliminary considerations to keep in mind. This resource includes a flowchart with key questions to ask yourself before reaching out to school districts, as well as an additional page with important considerations to keep in mind.
Visit this resource as a way to set yourself up for success as you enter meetings with potential buyers and school food professionals. They are likely to ask some of these same questions!
Another great resource can be found through USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services Department. The CN Labeling Manual provides food manufacturers with instructions on how to apply for and obtain approval for a CN label. It also contains instructions for calculating the contribution that meat, meat alternate, poultry, and seafood products make toward the Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) meal pattern requirements. The revised CN Labeling Manual combines three existing manuals into one comprehensive resource with updated information.
A CN label is approved by USDA and provides a way for a manufacturer to demonstrate how a processed food product contributes to the meal pattern requirements in CNP.
Access the CN Labeling Manual here https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/labeling-manual
In addition, food manufacturers and CNP operators can find other CN label-related resources at the CN Labeling Program website, which includes policy guidance and technical assistance.