Guide to Successful Publication to the USDA Child Nutrition Database

The following information is for manufacturers submitting food product information within GS1 Global Data Synchronization Network (GS1 GDSN®) for products to be included in the USDA Child Nutrition Database (CNDB). The product information that vendors submit to USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) via GS1 GDSN® through the Global Branded Food Products Database (Branded Foods) process will be released and made available in the CNDB. This is a required part of the nutrient analysis software approved by USDA for use in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. This guide provides a brief overview of the information required for the CNDB and some helpful tips for successful publication.

To submit data for the CNDB you will need to enter your data through a GS1 certified data pool provider (e.g., 1WorldSync, Syndigo, iTrade Network, or Salsify) to GS1 GDSN®. Data that is published using the Branded Foods GLN and the trade channel “Child Nutrition Food Programs” will be sent to the CNDB.

Getting Started

1. Use the following information to publish:
   1. Review the USDA Global Branded Foods Products Database Implementation Guide and work with your selected data pool provider to better understand the data requirements to better understand the data requirements.
   2. Publish your data to the USDA Branded Foods “GLN 0861583000302."
   3. Make sure under the USDA Item Attribute #131 (IM GUI Name) trade channel, “Child Nutrition Food Programs” is selected.
      1. CRITICAL: Both the “GLN 0861583000302” and the trade channel “Child Nutrition Food Programs” must be selected in order for your data to be published to the CNDB.
2. Enter the required attributes for your products.
   1. 1WorldSync Item Management users should select the "USDA" playlist to submit the required attributes for the CNDB.
   2. For all other data pool subscribers, please refer to the USDA Global Branded Foods Products Database Implementation Guide to identify the attributes that the CNDB requires.
      Note: Please ensure you are publishing to the correct GLN for USDA Branded Foods. The USDA has two GLNs that are associated with different databases for USDA Child Nutrition Programs.
   3. For Branded Foods and CNDB, publish to “GLN 0861583000302.”
   4. If you are a USDA Foods supplier with an active USDA contract, publish to “GLN 0861583000319” (USDA Foods Database). Publishing to the USDA Foods Database is contractually required for USDA Foods products that have been awarded to approved USDA Foods vendors. If you are not an existing USDA Foods supplier, do not publish to this GLN.
   5. Vendors who are required to publish to the USDA Foods Database for USDA Foods in Schools are encouraged to also publish to the USDA Branded Foods for inclusion in the CNDB.
3. All required Branded Foods Database attributes must be provided for food product data to be imported into the CNDB. Please refer to the USDA Global Branded Foods Products Database Implementation Guide pages 5–31 to identify the required attributes.
4. USDA has an open target market subscription and you do not need to request USDA to create a subscription for your GLN. You can immediately publish all trade items, attributes, and associated data directly without delay.

Verifying Publication

1. Check our product’s status either through your Data Pool tool dashboard or contact your data pool representative to inquire about product status. Generally, Catalogue Item Confirmation (CIC) messages are provided when warnings and errors have occurred.
2. If you receive a warning or error message and are unsure what it means or you do not receive a CIC message indicating your publication has been accepted/received, please contact your data pool provider for technical assistance. If you are unable to resolve the issue with your data pool provider, please contact technicalsupport@1worldsync.com.
3. You may check if your submitted products have been submitted correctly to the Child Nutrition Database within the Branded Foods section of FoodData Central. Search for your product within the search field. Be sure to filter on the “Child Nutrition Food Programs” trade channel. If your products appear, then they will be included in the next release of the Child Nutrition Database.
4. Please note, products published to Branded Foods will not appear in the database until the subsequent month (e.g., if published before May 1, data will be in Branded Foods in the May update, which occurs mid-month, if published after May 1, it will appear in Branded Foods with the June update).

Updates

1. The CNDB is updated is updated monthly on the same schedule as Branded Foods. Vendors may publish and provide updates to their product data at any time. The CNDB update will include the most recent data provided to GS1 GDSN® through the Branded Foods GLN with trade channel “Child Nutrition Food Programs.”
2. After data is published to the CNDB, you only need to make updates if:
   1. The product information has changed and updates are needed.
   2. USDA requests that updates be made based on the required attributes.

Additional Assistance

1. For information on how to publish your product information to Branded Foods and the CNDB via GS1 GDSN®, please see the USDA Global Branded Foods Products Database Implementation Guide.
2. For additional assistance with publishing to the CNDB, please contact:
   1. Customer/Technical Support: +1-866-280-4013 or technicalsupport@1worldsync.com.
   2. The CNDB team at cnpntab@usda.gov.