FNS Documents & Resources

USDA does not approve a manufacturer’s PFS. Program operators are ultimately responsible for ensuring menu items meet meal pattern requirements; therefore, program operators should review and verify the crediting statement on a manufacturer’s PFS before purchasing the product.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the final rule, Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments in the Federal Register (79 FR 71155) on Dec. 1, 2014.

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide state agencies and child nutrition program operators, including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program, with additional information and clarification on the administrative review process regarding the child nutrition label, watermarked CN label, and manufacturer’s product formulation statement.

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify that a Child Nutrition (CN) Label copied with a marking referred to as a “watermark” is acceptable documentation for an Administrative Review.

The purpose of this instruction is to set forth a procedure for submitting and approving quality control programs for child nutrition labeled products.

The purpose of this document is to provide industry with guidelines for preparing a quality control (QC) program for CN labeled products.

The watermark, is to be applied to all CN contribution statements not supported by product specific documentation and to CN product labels that are distributed without federally inspected and packaged product. 

The Child Nutrition (CN) label and a manufacturer’s Product Formulation Statement (PFS) are documents that provide a way for a manufacturer to demonstrate how a processed food product may contribute to the meal pattern requirements in child nutrition programs (CNP).