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Program Accomplishments
Below are highlights of the
major program accomplishments achieved by the Food and Nutrition Service's
Food Distribution Division on behalf of State and recipient agencies
participating in the Food Distribution
Program:
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1. |
Commodity Improvements: USDA is
committed to helping all program participants, particularly children and
the elderly, receive nutritious, healthful foods as recommended by the
2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid food guidance
system.
We have been offering healthier commodities such as tuna canned in
water, reduced fat bakery mix, whole wheat flour, reduced-fat processed
cheese blend, canned fruits packed in juice or lite syrup, ground beef
with no more than 15% fat, and 97% lean ham.
We are reviewing our commodities to determine what changes could be
made, such as:
- Increasing whole grain offerings, such as whole grain spaghetti,
macaroni, and quick-cook brown rice;
- Offering foods lower in saturated and trans fats and oils; and
- Lowering sodium in our commodities.
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2. |
Schools and Institutions Commodity Fact Sheets:
We continue to work on a major project to update the commodity fact
sheets for schools. In the meantime, recipients have overwhelmingly
requested us to provide the FNS commodity code on each fact sheet to
assist them in matching the commodity fact sheets with the commodities
ordered from USDA. In response, we developed a special commodity fact
sheet report that includes the 4-digit commodity code on each of the
more than 250 fact sheets developed for schools and institutions. Also
included is a table of contents sorted by commodity code, commodity
title, and food group.
www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/facts/schfacts/NslpRptHome.htm.
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3. |
CSFP Elderly Food Package Changes: As a
result of recommendations made by a CSFP Elderly Food Package Review
Team, changes to this food package were made in February 2005. The
approved changes substitute: (1) mixed vegetables for creamed corn; (2)
mixed fruit for fruit cocktail; (3) chili without beans for canned pork;
and (4) bran flakes cereal for corn squares cereal. These changes help
reduce the levels of cholesterol, total fat, saturated fat,
carbohydrates, calories, and sodium in the food package.
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4. |
Improvements to FDPIR Food Package: A workgroup
made recommendations to make more healthful commodities available
through the FDPIR food package. The improvements include reduced-fat
cheese blend, which became available in July 2004; and whole wheat
flour, canned turkey, canned kidney beans, and canned diced tomatoes,
all of which were made available between September 2004 and March 2005.
Overall, the changes will not increase the cost of the food package, but
will provide significant nutritional improvements. Among other positive
impacts, the changes will reduce the amount of total fat, saturated fat,
and cholesterol in the food package.
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5. |
National Policy Database: The Food
Distribution Division has updated the website to make the National
Policy Database more searchable. All policy memoranda are converted
directly into the Adobe format, which allows the reader to search for
information by keywords or phrases. This further enhances the
accessibility to useful information about FDD programs.
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6. |
Commercial Labels: USDA now allows
commercial labels on all food items purchased for its school and
household programs. Transitioning to commercial labels eliminates the
stigma sometimes associated with the generic USDA label, as well as the
misconception that USDA commodities are not of the same quality as
commercially labeled foods. Vendors now have the option of using
commercial labels on all USDA food purchases.
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National Processing Agreements (NPA):
The NPA was developed to standardize the commodity processing program
and streamline operations for the State agency and processor, thereby
increasing the opportunity for schools participating in the National
School Lunch Program to benefit from expanded access to commodity
processing.
A uniform national processing agreement is used along with a brief State
participating agreement and a standard summary sheet of products
available. FDD headquarters’ staff approves all processing End Product
Data Schedules, eliminating redundant review and approval by multiple
State staff. FDD staff also review and hold the processor bond and
monitor required bonding coverage, reducing cost and paperwork for
processors. These changes allow State staff to spend more time providing
technical assistance to schools that choose to process commodities.
NPA allows State distributing agencies and eligible recipient agencies
to contract with commercial food processors to convert raw bulk USDA
commodities into pre-cooked, ready-to-heat-and-serve items, prepared in
HACCP-approved plants. In addition to minimizing food safety risks,
portion sizes and formulations are subject to less variation than when
meals are prepared by local staff. All of these factors translate into
less labor for preparation at the school site, which may result in
significant labor savings.
Processing can also turn “hard to use commodity offerings,” such as
nonfat dry milk, into end products that schools can more easily utilize,
such as pizza and lasagna.
State distributing agencies and food processing companies have learned
that working together is mutually beneficial to the food industry and
program participants alike. That is, the program provides industry the
opportunity to market its products while eligible States and recipient
agencies have the opportunity to receive a wider variety of popular
table-ready end products.
www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/national/default.htm.
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Centralization of Food Orders: All
food orders for Schools and Institutions are now being processed at the
National Food Distribution headquarters. State agencies now place orders
directly with the Food Ordering Customer Service (FOCUS) team.
www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/focus/
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Training Initiatives: As a commitment to
assure uniformity in disseminating program information and to more
effectively reach out to all of its partners, the Food Distribution
Division established a position for a Commodity Program Training
Coordinator. This person conducts training for various constituents in
the commodity programs and coordinates educational presentations with
national partner organizations such as the American Commodity
Distribution Association and the School Nutrition Association. Below is
a list of key training initiatives conducted by FDD staff since 2004:
- Processing Review Training for FNS Regions – Division staff
held a three-day training session in the spring of 2004 for Regional
Office staff that are charged with conducting Management Evaluations on
State distributing agency processing operations.
- FD-101 Training for State Agency Staff – Division staff
conducted a four-day training session for State Agency staff (three
sessions in the fall of 2004, two sessions in the fall of 2005). The
training was comprehensive, involving all aspects of State
administration of commodity-based food assistance programs, covering
operations, regulations, and policy related to both School Programs and
Household Programs.
- Recipient Agency Training – Division staff conducted
presentations at several State meetings of school food service directors
about commodity program history, commodity ordering timeframes, national
processing, commodity complaint management, and the information
available in ECOS.
- ECOS Training for Processors – Division staff conducted a
conference-call training session for processors in March 2005. Training
covered registering in ECOS that can improve processors’ access to
commodity ordering information, USDA shipment schedules, recipient
agency allocations, less-than-truckload requests for processing, as well
as electronic receipting in ECOS.
- Complaint Protocol for FDPIR − Division staff conducted a
conference-call training session for Indian Tribal Organizations and
Regional Office staff in September 2005 about managing commodity
complaints in ECOS. Training focused on the newly implemented ECOS
Complaint Module, the paper trail for multi-food shipments, and
information required to improve vendor performance.
- Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Training – In
February 2004, division staff held a CSFP training session at FNS
Headquarters for new State agency staff. In March 2005, division staff
conducted two CSFP-101 training sessions for Regional Office staff. In
November of 2005, division staff conducted three CSFP-101 training
sessions for State agency staff. All CSFP-101 training sessions were
conducted via conference calls, with a training guide disseminated to
those participating prior to the calls. The training included the
history of the CSFP, program regulations and policy, the caseload
allocation process, the Electronic Commodity Ordering System, and the
Food Programs Reporting System. State agency-specific training included
caseload management best practices, as well as food ordering and
inventory management best practices.
- School Nutrition Association (SNA) Commodity Track − Division
staff and ACDA representatives took the initiative to expand the scope
and emphasis of commodity sessions that are available during the School
Nutrition Association Annual National Conference. SNA has scheduled a
Commodity Track for ANC 2006, which will incorporate 15 sessions
covering all aspects of FDD programs for novices and those who seek more
detail about processing, procurement, the DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable
Program, and ECOS.
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10. |
Information Technology – Electronic Commodity Ordering System (ECOS)
Expansion:
- ECOS use expands beyond State Distributing Agencies – The Electronic
Commodity Ordering System (ECOS) is an internet-based system that all
States now use to electronically submit commodity food orders to FNS.
After piloting the system in Virginia, twelve states now use ECOS to
some degree at the recipient agency level, primarily with schools. The
system provides users with information on food availability, surveys,
delivery order status, entitlement levels, transfers, commodity recalls,
and complaints. Processors, distributors, and warehouses can now also
register in ECOS and receipt for USDA shipments electronically.
- ECOS Commodity Complaint Module – State Distributing Agencies are
now able to enter commodity complaints into ECOS, track them through
resolution, and analyze trends. The system is also accessible to AMS and
FSA staffs that have a contractual relationship with vendors, and assists
them in improving vendor performance.
- ECOS Rapid Food Alert – ECOS provides the ability to rapidly notify
States and other system users about potential food safety/bio-security
alerts as well as holds and recalls. ECOS significantly improves
notification times and will ultimately provide a record of receipt of
such notification to the user level.
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Disaster Assistance Initiatives:
- Commodity Program Disaster Manual – The Disaster Manual was
completely revamped and published in August 2004, and updated in
September 2005. The new manual outlines State, Regional Office, and FNS/FDD
Headquarter roles in responding to a disaster. All parties reported the
procedures were instrumental in effectuating the FNS/FDD timely response
in providing commodities to emergency feeding agencies during the 2004
and 2005 hurricane seasons. In 2005, FDD managed the delivery of over 20
million pounds of food, valued at approximately $14.7 million, for both
congregate feeding and household distribution in response to Hurricanes
Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/fd-disasters/default.htm.
- Rapid Food Response System – USDA has established a “Rapid
Food Response System” that provides a nutritionally balanced offering of
USDA commodities for disaster feeding when a disaster strikes. Under
this initiative, seven geographically strategic States have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with USDA which makes their
inventories of USDA commodities available to other States for congregate
feeding during Presidentially-declared disasters. These inventories are
intended to supplement, not replace, the current disaster feeding
efforts of nonprofit private and public groups. The commodities will
provide a sound framework for allowing disaster feeding organizations to
develop and prepare nutritious meals for disaster victims.
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TEFAP
Supplemental Assistance –In April 2006, we allocated $6 million in
supplemental resources appropriated by Congress to address the
consequences of the Gulf Coast hurricanes to the nine States that had at
least 10,000 disaster applications (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama,
Texas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and California). These
nine States had approximately 95 percent of all State disaster
applicants. The supplemental resources were provided as commodity funds,
but States were given the option of converting some of the resources to
administrative funds (Louisiana and Mississippi decided to exercise this
option). A total of $5,023,766 in commodity funds and $976,234 in
administrative funds were provided to the States.
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Last Modified:
09/06/2007
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