HIDOE to implement nationally accepted USDA food safety standards for produce suppliers

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The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (Department) today announced an important update to its school meal program starting in the 2025-26 school year on July 1, 2025. To ensure that students receive consistently high quality and safe meals, the Department will begin implementing the USDA's Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Plus+ standards or the USDA GroupGAP Food Safety Program for all vendors providing raw or lightly processed produce.

"This GAP certification that takes effect next year ensures that we have high-quality produce that's healthy and great tasting for our students," Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. "We're very fortunate that we have a partnership with the Farm Bureau and the Department of Agriculture that provides the support to local farmers in attaining that GAP certification. All of us working together ensures that we're able to provide for our students healthy, nutritious, great tasting meals that students will enjoy."

This new standard is a key part of the Department's ongoing commitment to student health and well-being, ensuring that the food served in Hawai'i public schools meets the most stringent safety guidelines.

What this new standard means for students and families:

• Healthier meals: Starting in the 2025-26 school year, all farms that supply produce to the Department will need to be GAP certified. This certification is a mark of excellence in food safety, meaning that the produce served in our schools will be sourced from farms adhering to the highest agricultural standards.
• Consistent quality: By partnering with GAP-certified farms, the Department will provide meals that are not only safer but also consistent in quality, ensuring that students receive nutritious and reliable food.
• Streamlined food safety: The adoption of these standards will simplify and improve the Department's food safety protocols, making the processes for procurement and handling more efficient and secure.
  

The Department will be collaborating closely with its suppliers as they go through the GAP-certified audit process to ensure a smooth transition to the new standards.