Information for K-12 Suppliers
GDSN® has been widely used for decades within other segments of the foodservice industry and in 2018, new data fields were added enabling suppliers to meet the specialized needs of the school food segment. Coordinated by an independent consultant, the Technology Stakeholder Advisory Group was established in 2019 to gather input on draft open data standards including these new attributes from stakeholder groups including K-12 operators, manufacturers, distributors, state agencies, SNA and USDA; while also facilitating input from other K-12 software companies.
The Nourish to Flourish Open Data Standards were developed and published to form the core data set for the Nourish to Flourish Database. In addition the GDSN CN Meal Pattern Credit Information – Publishing Supplier Guide was developed to assist suppliers in populating and publishing these important new data fields.
inTEAM has also developed proprietary algorithms to run additional quality control checks on supplier published data at every stage and has engaged suppliers to educate and assist them in including Child Nutrition data in their publications. As the Nourish to flourish data pool provider, 1 World Sync has partnered with inTEAM to lend their technical assistance to the effort. They have supported the Nourish to Flourish initiative, educated suppliers on the K-12 market needs, and encouraged publication of data. (1WorldSync Request to Suppliers).
How to Publish & More
K-12 suppliers are provided with free access to publish their product data directly into the Nourish to Flourish database for easy access by menu planners. Syncing data twice per week ensures that customers are receiving the most current data in a standardized format to help ensure accuracy in making operational decisions. Suppliers can publish to the data base with two simple steps:
- Complete and submit the Nourish to Flourish Trading Partner Form.
- Publish all GTINs (product information) to Nourish to Flourish GLN 0860206001702.
Suppliers also have the option to promote their products to K-12 menu planners, recipes, sponsored searches and the inclusion of brand logos within the application. inTEAM also provides consulting service to assist with data quality, building recipes, etc.