FNS plays a vital role in providing supplemental nutrition assistance when disasters occur by coordinating with states, territories, Tribes, and local voluntary organizations.
This final rule revises regulations for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and USDA Foods disaster response regulations. This final rule makes improvements in USDA’s food distribution programs.
The Food Safety team develops education, instruction and technical assistance resources for individuals working in federally funded nutrition assistance programs such as the NSLP, SBP, CACFP, and SFSP.
This page provides resources that can help program operators prevent foodborne illness during emergencies and disasters. The Food Safety Emergency Response Pocket Guide supports school nutrition professionals in their response to food safety emergencies caused by disasters and weather-related events. The Assembling Food Safety Emergency Supply Kits poster highlights supplies to include in emergency kits.
FNS nutrition assistance programs have a role in responding to nutrition assistance needs during a human pandemic. Flexibilities already exist in some of the nutrition assistance programs that could support social distancing measures during a human pandemic such as alternatives to schools meals and mailing or electronic transmission of benefits.