The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committed to the mission of improving the nutrition of American consumers. USDA plays a leading role within the Executive Branch in the development and implementation of programs aimed at strengthening nutrition research and education efforts within the United States, and at improving the nutritional quality of foods produced and consumed and the nutritional status of the American people. USDA activities are focused on determining the nutritive value of foods, human nutritional needs, types and amounts of food consumed by Americans, and strategies for improving the food supply, individual diets, and the health and well being of Americans. Other major roles are to help individuals understand the relationship between food and health through sound research-based nutrition education programs and information, and to administer the domestic food assistance programs. Research-based information is also critical for food producers and processors, who recognize that consumers' demands drive the marketplace.

Coordination mechanisms already exist between USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services and other Federal agencies with responsibilities in these areas. These are the Interagency Board on Nutrition monitoring and Related Research, and the Interagency Committee on Human Nutrition Research.

The purpose of this regulation is to establish a coordinating structure within USDA which will assure that all activities addressing research and education relating to human nutrition, including scientific and economic research as well as public education and information programs, will be carried out within the Department in a fully integrated and coordinated manner.

In order to strengthen policy and programmatic coordination within USDA in the nutrition education and research areas, there is hereby established within the Department a Nutrition Education and Research Coordinating Council (Council). The Assistant Secretary for Food and Consumer Services and the Assistant Secretary for Science and Education shall serve as Co-Chairs of the Council. The Council shall include as members the Administrators of the Agricultural Marketing Service, the Agricultural Research Service, the Cooperative State Research Service, the Economic Research Service, the Extension Service, the Food and Nutrition Service and the Food Safety and Inspection service, and the Director of the National Agricultural Library. The Assistant Secretary for Economics, the Assistant Secretary for Marketing and Inspection Services, and the Director, Office of Budget and Program Analysis, shall also serve as members of the Council. In the event of successor positions or organizations, the equivalent officials shall serve as members of the Council.

The Council shall meet at the call of the Co-Chairs, and meetings shall be held at least quarterly. The Council will review agency planning documents and budget requests for functions related to human nutrition research and education. The Council will also review and advise the Secretary and other USDA officials with respect to nutrition research and education programs and priorities, and will evaluate the performance of agency functions related to nutrition research and education. The Council shall report to the Deputy Secretary.

The Council established under paragraph 2 shall coordinate all USDA activities addressing research, analysis, education and public information programs related to human nutrition. This coordinating mechanism will apply to all such activities and functions of the Department, including any such functions subsequently assigned to the Department, and will include specifically the following:

The Council shall submit to the Secretary annually, as of September 30 of each year, a report summarizing the accomplishments of the preceding year, problems encountered, and plans for the coming year for the Department's research and education functions related to human nutrition. Such report shall provide the Council's advice with respect to funding levels, accomplishments, and additional steps required, if any, to effect the full integration and coordination of the Department's functions in these areas.

Such staff support as may be required, including necessary support in preparation of the Council's annual report, shall be provided jointly by the Administrators of the Agricultural Research Service and the Food and Nutrition Service, and by the heads of such other participating USDA agencies as may be appropriate.