This notice announces the national average value of donated foods or, where applicable, cash in lieu of donated foods, to be provided in school year 2022 (July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022) for each lunch served by schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and for each lunch and supper served by institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
National Average Minimum Value of Donated Foods for the Period July 1, 2021 Through June 30, 2022
This notice implements mandatory provisions of sections 6(c) and 17(h)(1)(B) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (the Act) (42 USC 1755(c) and 1766(h)(1)(B)). Section 6(c)(1)(A) of the Act establishes the national average value of donated food assistance to be given to States for each lunch served in the NSLP at 11.00 cents per meal. Pursuant to section 6(c)(1)(B), this amount is subject to annual adjustments on July 1 of each year to reflect changes in a three-month average value of the Producer Price Index for Foods Used in Schools and Institutions for March, April, and May each year (Price Index).
Section 17(h)(1)(B) of the Act provides that the same value of donated foods (or cash in lieu of donated foods) for school lunches shall also be established for lunches and suppers served in the CACFP. Notice is hereby given that the national average minimum value of donated foods, or cash in lieu thereof, per lunch under the NSLP (7 CFR 210) and per lunch and supper under the CACFP (7 CFR 226) shall be 26.00 cents for the period July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.
The price index is computed using five major food components in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index (cereal and bakery products; meats, poultry, and fish; dairy; processed fruits and vegetables; and fats and oils). Each component is weighted using the relative weight as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The value of food assistance is adjusted each July 1 by the annual percentage change in a three-month average value of the Price Index for March, April, and May each year.
The three-month average of the price index increased by 6.47 percent from 213.45 for March, April, and May of 2020, as previously published in the Federal Register, to 227.26 for the same three months in 2021. When computed on the basis of unrounded data and rounded to the nearest one-quarter cent, the resulting national average for the period July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 will be 26.00 cents per meal. This is an increase of one-and-a-half cents from the school year 2021 (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021) rate.