The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will discontinue the requirement for vendors to use high security seals to secure USDA Foods deliveries as of July 1, 2023.
This manual contains important information for persons in FNS headquarters, FNS regional offices, and distributing agencies, which include state distributing agencies and Indian Tribal Organizations that are charged with the responsibility of providing USDA Foods to disaster relief organizations in the event of a disaster, emergency, or situation of distress.
The purpose of this memorandum is to advise you of a new and revised requirement for all Receiving Organizations (i.e., organizations that receive shipments of Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foods, including Distributing Agencies, Indian Tribal Organizations (ITO), recipient agencies, processors, and warehouses). This memorandum replaces the previous FD-062 dated April 25, 2011 , and adjusts the maximum timeframe for entering shipment receipts in the Web-Based Supply Chain Management System.
USDA Food and Nutrition Service policy memo SP 26-2013, "Extending Flexibility in the Meat/Meat Alternate and Grains Maximums for School Year 2013-14" extends the flexibility regarding Meat/Meat Alternate (M/MA) maximums for SY 2013-13, allowing state agencies to assess compliance based on the minimum daily and weekly serving requirements only.
This policy memorandum is the result of activities undertaken to plan a government-wide response to a potential human pandemic and addresses the operation of its USDA food programs during a major pandemic event.
During a Presidentially declared disaster/emergency, or during a situation of distress declared by a state or FNS, the state may find it necessary to transport USDA Foods from one area within the state to another in support of disaster feeding efforts. These intra-state transportation costs will be reimbursed by FNS during a Presidentially declared disaster/emergency, and reimbursed by FNS to the extent funds are available during situations of distress.