FNS Documents & Resources

FNS menu worksheet is a tool designed to assist school food authorities in demonstrating that each of the menus meets the new meal pattern for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

This memorandum satisfies GAO’s recommendations for the Food and Nutrition Service to issue more specific guidance to states and school districts regarding the applicability of the food safety inspections requirement in schools that do not prepare food, such as those that only serve pre-packaged meals or meals delivered from a central preparation location (referred to in this memorandum as service-only sites). 

As of Jan. 18, 2010, the operation of the Child Nutrition Label Program shifts from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to the Agricultural Marketing Service Processed Products Branch.

Prior to production All CN labels must be approved in FINAL by AMS (& FSIS or NMFS if applicable).

The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Specialty Crops Program, Specialty Crops Inspection Division performs CN Label review services and charges a fee for each CN label reviewed. 

A number of schools nationwide are still having difficulty obtaining the two food safety inspections required by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. Although FNS realizes that many of the difficulties schools face are beyond their control, we would like to stress that local program operators are responsible for requesting the food safety inspections from the public health department and documenting their efforts.

This memo clarifies how the food safety inspection requirement is to be carried out by program operators on military bases, Indian reservations and Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs).

This memorandum clarifies FNS policy regarding the calorie and nutrient requirements for meals planned using alternate menu planning approaches.

This publication has been prepared for juice drink manufacturers.  It contains directions for calculating the contribution that a juice drink or juice drink product makes toward meeting meal pattern requirements for the child nutrition programs.  It also contains instructions on how to apply for and obtain approval of a label with a child nutrition (CN) statement. 

It has come to our attention that there may be some confusion concerning fluid milk, and how it is offered in reimbursable lunches. Under all menu planning approaches, fluid milk is a separate food component/menu item.