USDA Foods Update

1. USDA FoodsUpdate Tim Walsh Acting Branch Chief Community Nutrition Programs USDA FNS MARO

2. USDA Foods Topics: • FNS Overview • USDA Foods - Year in Review • Meeting the New Requirements • Provision 242 Update • New Tools for Schools

3. But first – a short video • USDA Foods Final QT 480p 16x9 - YouTube

5. USDA Food & Nutrition Service Vision To lead America in ending hunger and improving nutrition and health. Mission Statement The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) increases food security and reduces hunger in partnership with cooperating organizations by providing children and needy families access to food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education in a manner that supports American agriculture and inspires public confidence.

6. USDA Food & Nutrition Service • Seven Regional Offices and HQ • 15 Nutrition Assistance Programs • Budget - $109.1 Billion (proposed)– FY13* • Programs Serve 1 in 4 Americans -Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 47.5 million Individuals/month (October 2012) -National School Lunch Program 31.7 million students in ~101,000 schools daily *Source: www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42596.pdf

7. FNS Regional Offices • Regional offices work with their state and community partners to increase food security and reduce hunger by providing those in need with access to food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education.

8. FNS Regional Offices

9. FNS Programs That Utilize USDA Foods • National School Lunch Program • School Breakfast Program • Child and Adult Care Food Program • Summer Food Service Program • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

10. FNS Programs That Utilize USDA Foods • Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) • Commodity Supplemental Food Program • Nutrition Services Incentive Program • Processing • Charitable Institutions • Disaster Feeding and Situations of Distress

11. USDA Foods: NSLP Year in Review FY 12 - USDA purchased 1.1 billion lbs of foods valued at over $1.4 billion FY 12 – NJ NSLP – 31.2 million pounds of food valued at $32.1 million

12. USDA Foods Help Schools Meet New Requirements: • Makes up approximately 15 to 20 percent of the food served • in each school lunch. • Provides a variety of healthy food choices, including fruits, • vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, dairy, and grains. • Includes a selection of more than 180 nutritious food items— • fresh, frozen, packaged, canned, dried, and bulk. • Meets rigorous food safety standards set by Federal • regulatory agencies and USDA’s two purchasing agencies – • the Agricultural Marketing Service and the Farm Service Agency.

13. USDA Foods Help Schools Meet New Requirements: • Fruits • Canned-extra light syrup • Frozen: developed new specification that decreases the amount of added sugars • Vegetables: ≤ 140 mg per ½ cup serving and no salt added products • Canned and dried beans • Exploring dark green and orange vegetables

14. USDA Foods Available Extra Light/Unsweetened Fruits • Apricots, Whole/Diced • Fruit Mix • Peaches, Sliced/Diced • Pears, Sliced/Diced/Halves • Apple Slices – Unsweetened Canned/Frozen • Applesauce – Unsweetened • Fresh Fruits – Apples, Oranges and Pears • Blueberries, Unsweetened • Strawberries, Unsweetened • Dried Fruits (Variety) • ¼ cup = ½ cup • New Specs for Frozen Fruit • Less added sugars • Waiver for SY12/13 and SY13/14

15. USDA Foods Available Vegetables Red–Orange • Tomato Products – Whole, Diced, Sauce, Paste • Sweet Potatoes – Canned, Fresh, Frozen, Bulk • Carrots – Frozen, Fresh Baby Carrots Dark Green • Frozen Broccoli Florets are available in FY13 (5 lb bags). Spinach is also being considered.

16. USDA Foods Available Vegetables Legumes • Variety of canned and dry Low sodium (140 mg/serving) Starchy Vegetables • Reduced sodium, fat-free potato wedges, canned & frozen peas, corn, and fresh potatoes Other • Green Beans

17. USDA Foods Help Schools Meet New Requirements: • Fresh Cut Program Expansion • Baby Carrots • Sliced Apples • Department of Defense (DoD) • Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

18. USDA Foods Help Schools Meet New Requirements: • Whole grains: meet >50% requirement • -Pastas • -Brown Rice • -Tortillas • -Whole wheat flour • -Whole Kernel Corn for processing • Exploring other whole grains like white whole wheat flour products

19. USDA Foods Help Schools Meet New Requirements: • Reducing Sodium: • All canned vegetables/tomatoes • Most meats and cheese products • Reducing Total Fat/Saturated Fats • Lean meats/poultry/fish • Reduced fat cheeses • Eliminate Trans fats: purchase only • zero trans fat products

20. USDA Foods Help Schools Meet New Requirements: FNS is researching new products to help schools meet the new meal pattern requirements. We are considering: • Bulk Pinto Beans for processing • 1 oz. Low-sodium Cheese Stick • Bulk Romaine Lettuce for processing We want your feedback and ideas about these products and any others you’d like us to consider. Email us at: USDAFoods@fns.usda.gov.

21. HHFKA Section 242 Update • Examine SFAs’ access to accurate nutrition information for commercial products and USDA Foods; FoodConnect.gov • Explore ways for schools to create high quality specification for bids: www.interflex.net • Provide recommendations for policy and funding to effect change to Congress

22. FoodConnect.usda.gov • The USDA Food Connect website provides a one-stop information and communication resource for schools, other procurement groups, and the companies that supply them. • The web site allows food service professionals to search for, and identify, value-added food products produced from a variety of agricultural foods, the companies that offer the products, brokers that represent those companies, and distributors that have passed a warehouse sanitation review.

23. USDA Foods Tools for Schools • www.fns.usda.gov/USDAFoods • USDA Foods Toolkit Updated • Additional Bid Tools coming soon!

24. USDA Foods Questions/Information: • Contact your state agency • Visit www.fns.usda.gov