USDA

Tips to Keep Your Thanksgiving Meals Safe

By |2021-08-11T14:44:06-07:00November 26th, 2019|Preparedness|

The holidays are a time for gathering with friends and family. Inevitably, this will also be a time when you may find yourself surrounded by lots and lots of food. In order to keep you and your loved ones healthy and avoid foodborne illness, let’s start with some basics: Wash your hands. Washing your hands [...]

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School Garden Program is Budding with Change

By |2017-02-10T09:48:32-07:00January 5th, 2017|Preparedness|

Last month we launched new materials on our School Garden Program website. The Food Safety Plan was transformed from a pre-written template to a fillable PDF where applicants can easily input information about their garden and write their own policies and procedures. By writing their own food safety plans, garden leaders are empowered to proactively [...]

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Arizona WIC Program Selected for USDA Lean Six Sigma Process

By |2017-02-10T09:49:02-07:00January 21st, 2016|Prevention|

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is undertaking a Lean Six Sigma process improvement project for the development of the WIC state plan. Six Sigma is a data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating shortcomings in processes. USDA selected a variety of state agencies and regional offices to take part in the five-month project. The [...]

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Nutrition Programs Approved by USDA

By |2017-02-10T09:49:08-07:00October 9th, 2015|Prevention|

We received notice from the United States Department of Agriculture that the state plans for both the Arizona WIC Program and the Arizona Nutrition Network were approved for federal fiscal Year 2016. While USDA has not yet finalized the budget for the coming year, the Arizona WIC Program was funded for more than $130 million [...]

Loving Support Gold Award of Excellence to Yavapai County

By |2017-02-10T09:49:12-07:00August 4th, 2015|General, Prevention|

  Director Cara M. Christ, MD, (center), along with WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator Anne Whitmire, PHS Assistant Director Sheila Sjolander and Nutrition and Community Services Manager Linda Yee, present the award to Yavapai WIC Director Willa Miller (far right). Congratulations to Yavapai County Community Health Services WIC Program. They will be recognized for their [...]

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State Public Health Lab Selected as Level I Lab by USDA

By |2017-02-10T09:49:13-07:00June 29th, 2015|Preparedness|

Our Arizona State Public Health Laboratory has been selected as a Level 1 Laboratory in the USDA's Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) Cooperative Agreement Program. FERN currently comprises federal, state, and local government regulatory laboratories with varying capacities to perform threat agent testing. The FERN Program enhances the nation's ability to detect microbiological, radiological and chemical threat agents [...]

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Farm Bill Provides Public Health Intervention Options

By |2017-02-10T09:49:44-07:00April 1st, 2014|Prevention|

The passage of the Farm Bill  (the  Agricultural Act of 2014)  includes some changes and reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.  In Arizona, SNAP benefits help put healthy food on the table for more than one million people each month, with more than half of the benefits going to [...]

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USDA Announces New School Nutrition Guidelines

By |2017-02-10T09:49:48-07:00February 28th, 2014|General, Prevention|

The USDA announced proposed new guidelines for school wellness policies as part of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 this week.  The new policies set goals in nutrition, physical activity, and other school-based activities promoting student wellness. Additionally, the school wellness policies include a guideline on food marketing in schools, setting a standard that [...]

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The School Day Just Got Healthier

By |2017-02-10T09:50:09-07:00September 17th, 2013|Prevention|

Nearly 32 million U.S. kids get meals at school every day- and the meals are based on new nutrition standards from the USDA.  Kids attending the schools that participate in the program will have more vegetables and fruits, less fat and salt, and more whole grains. Portion sizes will better meet the needs of growing children. [...]

Healthier School Lunches

By |2017-02-10T09:50:20-07:00July 11th, 2013|Prevention|

There are more than 100,000 schools in the United States and last week, the USDA said that for the first time, they'll be ensuring that food sold in those schools will be held to stricter limits on fat, calories, sugars and sodium.  This means all foods sold in schools, from the cafeterias to the vending machines.  It's the result [...]

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