Food Hold and Recall Resources

In the event of a USDA Foods hold or recall, the Food Distribution Program (FDP) will alert affected recipients through e-mail. It is important for recipient agencies to keep contact information up-to-date in the FDP Module of the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System to ensure timely notification.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Foods

Responding to a Food Recall (PDF; 2MB)
This document provides an overview of the recall process for USDA Foods with a focus on school meal programs.

USDA Commodity Alert System
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has made arrangements to allow users to register for e-mail notifications for potential USDA Foods food safety events.

Parent USDA Foods Notification Template: USDA Foods Hold/Recall
We offer this parental notification template to use by recipient agencies in the event of a USDA Foods hold or recall. The notification has been translated into a number of languages and is provided in generic form so that your agency can modify it to suit your needs and use it as a resource for communication with parents.

Commercially Purchased Foods

Government Recalls
For the most current list of unsafe, hazardous, or defective products, six federal agencies with vastly different jurisdictions have joined together to create a "one stop shop" for U.S. Government recalls.

California Department of Public Health Food Recalls
Information regarding food recalls, retail distribution lists, and links to other food recall information.

Food Safety

California Department of Education Food Safety Resources
Information and links about food safety during food preparation and transport, and California Retail Food Code requirements.

Safety Complaints of USDA Foods
Information from the USDA FNS Food Distribution Division regarding USDA Foods safety complaints.

USDA Foods Complaint Form (PDF)
The USDA Foods Complaint form used by recipient agencies to report damaged or unsafe foods to the California Department of Education.