This notice announces the Food and Nutrition Service's (FNS) intent to implement a demonstration project to test program changes designed to improve the state processing of donated foods by allowing the substitution of donated beef and pork supplied by the Department of Agriculture (the Department) with commercial beef and pork.
FNS is invoking its authority under 7 CFR 250.30(t) to waive the current prohibition in 7 CFR 250.30(f)(1)(i) against the substitution of meat and poultry items and to establish the criteria under which substitution would be permitted. The Department will use the demonstration project results to further examine whether allowing this type of substitution will result in increased processor participation and provide a greater variety of processed end products to recipient agencies in a more timely manner and/or at lower costs.