FNS Documents & Resources

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service is extending for 120 days the public comment period on the interim final rule, “Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-Congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs.” 

USDA’s goal across all summer nutrition programs is simple: Connect children with nutritious food during the summer months to help them grow and thrive. The interim final rule published this week is an important step forward in increasing access to these services

The Operational Challenges in Child Nutrition Programs surveys, are designed to collect timely data on emerging school food service operational challenges, including but not limited to supply chain disruptions, food costs, and labor shortages, and/or related issues.

The purpose of this voluntary recognition initiative is to encourage Summer Meal Programs' sponsors to offer higher quality, nutritious meals that make a positive impact on children's healthy development.

This factsheet provides information on "Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption.".

This fact sheet provides information on Good Agricultural Practices, recognized practices intended to prevent the microbial contamination of fresh produce, and how these practices apply to purchasing and growing local food products for farm to school activities. 

This fact sheet outlines a number of additional resources for those seeking to directly purchase or raise food products for school nutrition programs.

"Food Safety Frequently Asked Questions: The Food Safety Modernization Act and its Impact on Farm to School Activities": This document includes common questions related to food safety when purchasing locally grown and raised food products directly from producers as well as food safety considerations for edible campus gardens.

This action implements statutory requirements and policy improvements to strengthen administrative oversight and operational performance of the Child Nutrition Programs.

The purpose of this new collection is to collect qualitative and quantitative stakeholder feedback through meetings, focus groups, interviews, other stakeholder interactions and surveys, as well as requests for administrative data, as part of the planning process for FNS regulatory actions, the semi-annual regulatory agenda, research studies, outreach, training and the development of guidance.