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Overview of USDA Nutrition and Quality Improvement Efforts

Explore USDA's efforts in improving food aid quality and nutrition through studies, grants, mycotoxin control, and procurement guidelines. Learn about micronutrient-fortified products and educational programs to support global food security. Stay informed on packaging improvements for durable and safe delivery.

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Overview of USDA Nutrition and Quality Improvement Efforts

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  1. Overview of USDA Nutrition and Quality Improvement Efforts Roger P. Mireles Assistant Deputy Administrator Office of Capacity Building and Development Foreign Agricultural Service/USDAJune 28, 2011

  2. Recent studies on the efficiency and effectiveness of U.S. food aid • GAO Report Foreign Assistance: Multiple Challenges Hinder the Efficiency and Effectiveness of U.S. Food Aid (2007) • SUSTAIN Food Aid Quality Project (2008) • GAO ReportInternational Food Assistance: A U.S. Government wide Strategy Could Accelerate Progress toward Global Food Security (2009) • GAO Report Better Nutrition and Quality Control Can Further Improve U.S. Food Aid (2011) • Tufts University Food Aid Quality Review: Delivering Improved Nutrition (2011)

  3. Focus on Micronutrients • In FY 2010, $14 M allocated to develop more nutritious and micornutrient-fortified food aid products • Food Aid Nutritional Education Program ($3.8 M) • Micronutrient-Fortified Food Aid Products Pilot ($10 M)

  4. Food Aid Nutritional Education Program • Supports the development and field testing of new ready-to- use foods • fortified blended foods • high-energy foods • micronutrient powders • Johns Hopkins University received a $2.7 M grant to address childhood stunting and severe wasting in Bangladesh • PATH was awarded a $1 M grant in Burundi to help in the development of iron-fortified Ultra Rice

  5. Micronutrient-Fortified Food Aid Products Pilot • Aimed at development and field testing of new or improved micronutrient- fortified food aid products • Identify new products that could be provided through McGovern- Dole programs globally • First award $1.5 M to IPHD to test new micronutrient-rich ready-to-use supplementary food

  6. Testing for Mycotoxins in Food Aid Commodities • Why? • 4.5 billion people in are chronically • exposed to dangerous levels of • aflatoxin • recognize the importance of food aid • quality and safety in humanitarian assistance • USG reviewing whether additional tests for mycotoxins are needed for food aid products • How? • USDA has been soliciting input from the commercial sector to have a better understanding of the presence of mycotoxins in food products and the practicality of testing

  7. U.S. Supports Aflatoxin Control Efforts • The PACA is committed to a holistic approach to aflatoxin control • U.S. committed $12 million to support the Partnership on Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA) • Links with country-driven priorities to help sustainably transform agricultural systems • USDA is collaborating closely with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

  8. Improvements to the Testing and Sampling of Commodities • Currently rely solely on the quality control systems of blended/fortified product vendors • Only Corn Soy Blend and Wheat Soy Blend have mandatory USG sampling and testing • USDA in the process of moving toward sampling and testing on all other blended/fortified commodities

  9. New Commodity Procurement Guidelines USDA is transitioning from sealed bid procurement to negotiated procurement through Requests for Proposals (RFP) Allows for the use of technical evaluation factors such as past performance, quality control and price when making contract award decisions FSA currently has two RFPs issued covering Corn Soy Blend and Corn Soy Blend Plus, and Emergency Food Products USDA received responses to both RFPs and is evaluating these proposals

  10. Packaging Improvements • 2009 – Vegetable oil specifications changed to enhance the closure and durability of cans • 2011 – Increased utilization of “best if used by dates”

  11. Thank you…

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