FNS Documents & Resources

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide updated guidance on the child nutrition program flexibilities available during unanticipated school closures. Schools may face unanticipated closures due to natural disasters, unscheduled major building repairs, court orders relating to school safety or other issues, labor-management disputes, or, when approved by the state agency, a similar cause. Unanticipated school closures prevent children from receiving educational instruction and the nutritious meals they would normally receive. The Food and Nutrition Service encourages school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or the School Breakfast Program, institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and sponsors participating in the Summer Food Service Program to use the flexibilities described in this memorandum to help ensure that children do not experience a lapse in food security when extreme weather or other events force area schools and child care facilities to close.

This memorandum clarifies juice and yogurt allowances based on the child care and preschool meal pattern updates and incorporates the meal pattern flexibilities related to flavored milk. The flavored milk flexibilities apply to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and the Special Milk Program for Children effective beginning in school year 2019-2020 (July 1, 2019). Lastly, this memorandum changes the policy for commercially prepared smoothies. Commercially prepared smoothies can now contribute to the meat/meat alternate, fruit, vegetable, and milk components of the federal meal requirements for all child nutrition programs.

Attached are Questions and Answers (QAs) on the final rule Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements (83 FR 63775, December 12, 2018), which provides menu planning flexibilities in the child nutrition programs beginning July 1, 2019.

This memorandum rescinds and replaces SP 22-2019, CACFP 09-2019, SFSP 08-2019 Crediting Coconut, Hominy, Corn Masa, and Corn Flour in the Child Nutrition Programs. This updated memorandum provides guidance on crediting coconut (including dried coconut), hominy, corn masa, and masa harina and clarifies how to identify popular products made from corn that can credit towards the grain requirements in the child nutrition programs (CNPs), including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

On Dec. 20, 2018, Congress passed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-334, 2018 Farm Bill). The purpose of this memorandum is to notify child nutrition program operators of the 2018 Farm Bill’s expansion of the provision stating that certain groups are not liable in civil cases regarding the donation and service of traditional foods. This provision only applies to food service programs at public and nonprofit facilities that primarily serve Indians, including those operated by Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations.

This memorandum, SP20 CACFP07 SFSP06-2019, notifies all child nutrition program state agencies and program operators of guidance the Food and Nutrition Service received from the Office of Management and Budget, OMB M-18-18, authorizing increases to the value of the micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds. The changes apply to all child nutrition programs and implement an approval process for certain state agencies and program operators that want to request micro-purchase thresholds higher than $10,000.

This memorandum provides guidance on crediting tempeh in the child nutrition programs (CNPs), including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program. Tempeh is a highly nutritious fermented soybean cake traditionally made from whole soybeans. Although mature beans have traditionally been credited as a meat alternate in the CNPs, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has not previously issued guidance on crediting tempeh. Based on stakeholder feedback, FNS is updating CNP food crediting guidance to explain how to credit tempeh as a meat alternate.

This memorandum provides guidance on crediting surimi seafood in the child nutrition programs (CNPs), including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Surimi seafood is a pasteurized, ready-to-eat, restructured seafood usually made from pollock (fish). Previously, surimi seafood did not meet the requirement for any component in the meal patterns, but could be served as an “extra” food. Based on stakeholder feedback, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is updating food-crediting guidance to allow surimi seafood to credit as a meat/meat alternate in the CNPs.

This memorandum expands flexibility for crediting vegetables in the child nutrition programs (CNPs), including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). In December 2017, FNS solicited comments on the CNP crediting system through a Request for Information (RFI). FNS sought public input about specific foods, including if it is appropriate to require visual recognition when determining how foods credit in the CNPs. At the time of the public comment, program operators could credit pasta made with vegetable flour only if it was served along with a recognizable vegetable. For example, bean pasta could credit as a vegetable if it was served with additional beans.

This memorandum provides guidance on crediting popcorn in the child nutrition programs (CNPs), including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Previously, popcorn could not contribute to any component in the meal patterns, but could be served as an “extra” food. Based on stakeholder feedback, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is updating CNP food crediting guidance to allow popcorn to credit as a whole grain.