The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will discontinue the requirement for vendors to use high security seals to secure USDA Foods deliveries as of July 1, 2023.
The Food Buying Guide for child nutrition programs has all of the current information in one manual to help you and your purchasing agent buy the right amount of food and the appropriate type of food for your program(s), and determine the specific contribution each food makes toward the meal pattern requirements.
This memorandum is meant to provide clarification and guidance on policies and procedures for donated food storage and distribution as they relate to product dating.
USDA Food and Nutrition Service policy memo SP 26-2013, "Extending Flexibility in the Meat/Meat Alternate and Grains Maximums for School Year 2013-14" extends the flexibility regarding Meat/Meat Alternate (M/MA) maximums for SY 2013-13, allowing state agencies to assess compliance based on the minimum daily and weekly serving requirements only.
The purpose of this policy memorandum is to clarify the responsibilities of the state administering agency and the state distributing agency with respect to ensuring compliance with requirements for donated foods in the National School Lunch Program, the Summer Food Service Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
FDD has received several complaints recently about dried fruit and grain products that became infested in storage. Therefore, it is imperative that dried fruit and grain products are distributed to the end user as soon as possible after receipt from the vendor to avoid problems with infestation.