School Emergency Nutrition and Preparedness Guide

School emergency food planning must support the emergency operations plan, student safeguarding, allergy controls, accessibility and reunification procedures. It is an institutional responsibility, not a collection of uncoordinated classroom kits.

Coordinate the plan

School leaders should work with district staff, emergency management, public health, food service, nurses, families and disability-support teams. Define who can access supplies, authorize distribution and communicate during sheltering or evacuation.

Plan for students actually enrolled

Account for age, allergies, diabetes and other medical diets, swallowing or sensory needs, religious and cultural requirements, mobility, communication access and staff needs. Keep current emergency health information protected and available to authorized personnel.

Food and water

Use approved shelf-stable foods with clear labels and safe storage. Maintain water according to current local requirements. Include no-cook options and opening utensils. Do not use food with damaged packaging or expired institutional approval.

Allergy and choking safeguards

Do not distribute an unfamiliar product without checking ingredients, allergens, age appropriateness and the student's plan. Staff must follow school policy; emergency food does not replace prescribed medication or emergency medical response.

Storage and rotation

Control access, temperature, pests and inventory. Record lot or date information, inspect supplies and rotate them through an authorized process. Avoid hot vehicles or uncontrolled rooms.

Drills and reunification

Practice roles without frightening students. Food distribution must not conflict with evacuation, lockdown, accountability or reunification procedures.

Product boundary

Survival Tabs could be evaluated as one compact option only after institutional, nutrition, allergy and safeguarding review. No product should be represented as a complete school emergency program.