Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program

View the menu schedule outlining which fruit and vegetables will be provided during the 20 weeks of the program (267KB, PDF).

• Obtaining a safe food handling certificate is highly recommended for anyone who handles food. The more people who receive this certification, the less likely the food will be handled improperly or unsafely. Some schools may be required to have at least one person who is certified under Regulation 493/17 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act (Government of Ontario). Your public health inspector will advise if this requirement applies to your school on their next visit or inspection.
• Upon receiving the shipment of fruit and vegetables, ensure you count product, inspect the quality of the food, and check the best before dates.
• If you think the food delivered might not be safe for consumption, do not serve it (for example, if a product has any foul odours or if a package seal is broken).
• Ensure the refrigerator temperature is at 4°C (40°F) or colder and remove all outer shipping packaging from trays or bags that contain the refrigerated product. Place these products immediately in the refrigerator to maintain quality.
• Food items that do not need to be refrigerated should be stored off the ground.
• All whole fruit and vegetables, including those with a peel, should be washed under clean, cool running water.
• Ensure your school has adequate supplies on hand to properly store, prepare, and distribute the fruit and vegetables safely.
• Educate students to wash their hands properly (PDF, 127.39 KB) before and after eating.
• Review best before dates and use FIFO (First In First Out) rotation for any long shelf products carried over from previous weeks.

• Avoid serving poor quality produce, which may result in a negative experience and affect a child’s willingness to try that food in the future.
• Always talk positively about fruit and vegetables, especially when offering these foods to the students.
• Children are more likely to eat a fruit or vegetable cut in half or quarters rather than one whole piece. If time and facilities allow, consider slicing whole items for an enticing snack.
• Be a positive role model! Children are more likely to eat a vegetable or fruit they dislike when they see one of their friends, educators, or family members eating it.
• Don’t give up if the child does not like a fruit or vegetable immediately. Always offer food to students, even if they refused it last time; however, do not pressure them to eat it. It may take 2, 3, or even 10 exposures before a child feels comfortable taking even a small bite. If time and facilities allow, consider presenting the food in a new way to help with acceptance.

• Provide accurate school enrolment numbers to the NFVP coordinator prior to the program start every year. Communicate enrolment changes in a timely manner.
• Pre-sliced items, such as carrot sticks and pineapple chunks, may spoil faster than whole items. When receiving pre-sliced and whole items in the same week, serve the pre-sliced items first.
• Leftover produce that does not need to be refrigerated, such as apples and oranges, can be sent home with students for them to enjoy. If sending leftover cut-up fruit and vegetables with students, please ensure you send a note home indicating that the food must be thrown out if left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours after the end of the school day.
• Consider using leftover fruit and vegetables in preparation of other foods (for example, broccoli in salads, tomatoes in salsa, soup, or pasta sauce). If you are preparing foods with leftovers, ensure that your school has an inspected kitchen that allows you to prepare food onsite. If you are unsure, please call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200 ext. 464 to speak to a public health inspector.
• Review best before dates and use a FIFO (First In First Out) rotation for any long shelf-life products carried over from previous weeks.

In 2018:

• 91% of students reported that they like to eat fruit
• 68% of students reported that they like to eat vegetables
• 18% of students recorded consuming the recommended number of fruit and vegetables serving from Canada’s Food Guide
• 87% of students were very willing or willing to try new fruit and vegetables that they’d never tried before
• 89% of students enjoyed receiving fruit or vegetables in their classroom two times a week
• students significantly preferred vegetables that were served in the program than vegetables that weren’t part of the program
• exposure to fruits and vegetables as in the case of the program may help to increase likeability, acceptance, and consumption

Healthy Eating Curriculum Resources are available to support schools.

If any concerns arise regarding the quality or condition of the fruit and vegetables shipment, please email nfvp@phsd.ca or call 705.522.9200, ext. 719 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).

Please gather the following information when reporting a concern:

• brand/company name
• lot number or bar codes
• best before date on shipping or product packaging
• photo of the product (if possible)