Skip to main content
Resource | Policy Using Federal Funds to Purchase Local Foods

The purpose of this memorandum is to remind schools, sponsors, and institutions participating in any USDA Child Nutrition Program, including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, Special Milk Program for Children , Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and the Seamless Summer Option , of the many ways they can purchase local foods to serve in program meals.

05/06/2025
Resource | Training and Outreach Industry Guide to Publishing K-12 Product Data to USDA Databases

This webinar introduces and describes the purposes of the two USDA databases available for K-12 product manufacturers to publish their product data: Child Nutrition Database and the USDA Foods Database.

03/26/2025
Resource | Policy Geographic Preference Option Questions and Answers Memo

Geographic Preference Option Questions and Answers

07/03/2024
Resource | Policy Memos Geographic Preference Expansion Related to the Final Rule - Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 DGAs

This memorandum provides a detailed explanation of the expanded geographic preference option. 

05/22/2024
Basic page USDA Foods by Program

Learn more about the nutritious, 100% American grown USDA Foods that are designed to meet the needs of the specific population each program serves.

04/10/2024
Resource | Technical Assistance USDA Foods Decision Tree

Decision tree to help determine how to get your product considered for USDA Food distribution programs.

04/10/2024
Basic page USDA Foods Minimum Criteria

USDA foods are required to meet a minimum criteria to be considered for purchase.

04/10/2024
Basic page Process to Update the USDA Foods Available List

This page outlines the eight-step process for adding new foods to the USDA Foods available list.

04/10/2024
Basic page How to Get Your Product Considered for USDA Foods

USDA Foods are foods purchased from American farmers, dairies, ranchers, and fisheries to support federal nutrition assistance programs and American agriculture.

04/04/2024
Resource | Guidance Documents Procuring Local Meat, Poultry, Game and Eggs for Child Nutrition Programs

Recently, FNS has received a number of questions related to buying local meat, poultry, game, and eggs; this memorandum seeks to clarify the regulatory requirements related to food safety and answer specific questions related to these products with a series of questions and answers.

11/20/2023
Page updated: October 14, 2021