Food Service Guidelines

Food service guidelines, often referred to as FSG, are standards designed to promote healthier food, beverages, and food service operations in places where food is sold, served, or distributed.

Strategy Components

Led by CCBH Healthy Communities

The FSG strategy aims to:

  • Guide partner organizations in developing and implementing FSG policies and practices.
  • Increase healthy food access, making healthy choices easier.
  • Support balanced diets and improve community health outcomes.

The FSG Strategy includes activities such as:

  • Assessing partner organizations’ food environments to identify opportunities.
  • Surveying consumers to ensure that food and beverage options meet quality standards and address dietary needs and cultural preferences.
  • Promoting food safety practices to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
  • Encouraging facility sustainability and community development efforts.
  • Developing policies and practices in collaboration with government, faith-based, and charitable food organizations.

FSG Partners

Cuyahoga County Administration

Executive Ronayne is committed to fostering a community where health, wellness, and safety take center stage, creating a thriving environment for all. That’s why we collaborate with the Cuyahoga County Office of the Executive, the Department of Public Works, and Employee Wellness to increase the availability of nutritious food and beverage options, making healthy choices easy for employees and visitors.

 

Charitable Food

The Hunger Networkā€”This organization has been working to end hunger and build a healthier community for over 25 years because they believe that good food leads to good health, and good health leads to a brighter future. Serving as Cuyahoga Countyā€™s largest emergency food provider, they use innovative, nontraditional approaches to support residents in need. In 2024, they distributed over 910,000 pounds of food across 55 hunger relief sites, ensuring families had reliable access to essential items. However, they donā€™t stop at access; they also prioritize quality. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of that food was nutrient-dense, packed with fresh produce, lean proteins, and wholesome staples.

 

Faith-Based Organizations

Bethany Baptist Church and Kingdom Korner Outreachā€”Bethany Baptist Church is committed to demonstrating a Godly lifestyle in the community and exercising oneā€™s spiritual gifts in diligent service. Bethany Baptist displays its commitment to serving the community and its members through 28 different ministries, including Kingdom Korner and the Hunger Center. Kingdom Korner is a community resource and referral center located directly across from the church, and the Hunger Center Ministry provides free food and household supplies to needy families.

Community of Faith Collaborativeā€”Community of Faith Collaborative serves as a hub for meaningful dialogue and networking between the CDC’s REACH program, which focuses on eliminating chronic diseases in communities nationwide by facilitating healthy eating and physical activity for those at the highest risk or burden of these diseases. This takes place through faith communities, local faith leaders, and community partners ā€“ including nonprofit organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, and the private sector ā€“ to serve and bring about positive, transformative change in our communities. They aim to catalyze positive societal change in which mobilized faith-based groups lead collaborative efforts to create healthy, thriving, and empowered communities.

Monte Hebron Ciudad de Refugioā€”Monte Hebron is a Latino church on the west side that seeks to impact the community by sharing the gospel of Jesus and helping those in need through community outreach events and activities.

Interested in improving healthy food access?

If your organization or business serves, sells, or distributes food, you can implement food service guidelines. Find tools to support the development of nutrition, behavioral design, community development, and sustainability standards on ourĀ resource page.

Contact the FSG strategy lead, Chloe Nace-Rolland, at nace-rolland@ccbh.netĀ for development and implementation support.