FNS Documents & Resources

This memorandum provides guidance on using school data when determining area eligibility for purposes of the child nutrition programs in instances where school attendance areas may not accurately reflect the population of the school for which eligibility data is being used. 

In November 2005, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) issued Policy Memorandum FD-049 to assist school food authorities (SFAs) in providing healthier options and a wider variety of cheese products for students. The policy memorandum permits processors to substitute cheese donated by the Department of Agriculture (i.e., USDA cheese) with other varieties of cheese produced for the commercial market.

The purpose of this policy memorandum is to clarify a state distributing agency's (SDA) responsibilities regarding (1) the approval of end products for processing; and (2) monitoring of sales of such end products to school food authorities (SF A) in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) by reviewing a processor's monthly performance report.

In accordance with 7 CFR 250.30(1), a processor may. in most cases, substitute Department of Agriculture (USDA) donated foods with commercially purchased foods of U.S. origin, and of equal or better quality in all USDA purchase specifications than the donated food. The substitution option permits processors to conduct their business efficiently and provide finished end products to school food authorities (SFAs) and other recipient agencies in a timely manner.

This memorandum has been superseded by SP 10-2015, CACFP 04, SFSP 03-2015: Area Eligibility in Child Nutrition Programs.

This memorandum is being released on the direction of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 (PL 112-255), Conference Report 112-284. This policy memo clarifies the TEFAP regulations at 7 CFR Part 251.5(b).  

In this policy memorandum, we clarify that the SFA may, in some cases, include bids for procurement of end products in its solicitation for procurement of commercial food products from commercial distributors, rather than conduct two separate solicitations. 

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance regarding the use of census data for area eligibility determinations in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). This memorandum has been superseded by SP 10-2015, CACFP 04, SFSP 03-2015: Area Eligibility in Child Nutrition Programs.

This memorandum provides guidance and clarification regarding individual income eligibility determinations and durations in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

Recently, concerns have been raised about school district employees allegedly misrepresenting their incomes on applications to receive free or reduced price school meals for their children.