This final rule updates the meal patterns and nutrition standards for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to align them with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
This final rule incorporates into the Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations modifications, clarifications, and technical changes to the two interim rules published by the Department on June 27, 2002 and Sept. 1, 2004.
This rule amends the regulations affecting the determination of children's eligibility for free meals under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program by direct certification and categorical eligibility. Conforming changes and miscellaneous technical changes are also made, as appropriate, for the Special Milk Program for Children, the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program.
Effective Oct.1, 2008, institutions receiving funds through the child nutrition programs may apply an optional geographic preference in the procurement of unprocessed locally grown or locally raised agricultural products.
This document informs the public about a change in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that affects the proposed rule "Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs'' issued by the Department of Agriculture and published in the Federal Register on Jan. 13, 2011.
This rule proposes to revise the meal patterns and nutrition requirements for the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program to align them with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as required by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.
The purpose of this proposed rule is to incorporate this procurement option in the programs' regulations and to define the term "unprocessed locally grown or locally raised agricultural products'' to ensure that both the intent of Congress in providing for such a procurement option is met and that any such definition will facilitate ease of implementation for institutions participating in the child nutrition programs.
This final rule amends the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) regulations to implement provisions from the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2002, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 and the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010, that authorize reimbursement to eligible states for a meal (normally a supper) served by at-risk afterschool care programs in eligible states.
This rule finalizes the interim rule that implemented the statutory provision to prohibit direct or indirect restrictions on the sale or marketing of fluid milk on school premises or at school-sponsored events, at any time or in any place, in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. This rule ensures that there are no policies or procedures in place that have the effect of restricting the sale or marketing of fluid milk.
This interim rule implements provisions of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 relating to verification of applications approved for free or reduced price meals in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.